South Africa issues water warning after 500 fall ill

South African authorities have issued a health warning following reports that more than 500 individuals developed gastrointestinal symptoms, including stomach cramps and diarrhea. Officials attributed the cluster of illnesses to deteriorating water quality in two cities within the country.

The alert was released this week for residents living in areas east of Pretoria, the capital. The directive urged inhabitants to refrain from consuming tap water after 408 people, among them children, sought treatment at various healthcare facilities.

Water infrastructure challenges persist

Pretoria and its surrounding suburbs have contended with long-standing issues related to water cleanliness, a situation mirrored in other cities across the nation. This matter remains a focal point of political disagreement.

On Wednesday, city officials distributed water to the population using emergency tankers. Concurrently, the charity organization Gift of the Givers provided bottled water to affected communities.

Chlorination failure identified

Health and municipal representatives stated that the majority of those infected were children under four years old. These cases resulted from drinking contaminated water supplied by a treatment plant serving several residential clusters east of Pretoria.

Authorities confirmed that the plant’s water had not undergone chlorination for approximately three weeks, rendering it unsafe for human consumption. They noted that the municipality faced difficulties securing chlorine from its usual supplier during this period.