Tshwane admits negligence after 408 fall ill in Bronkhorstspruit

The City of Tshwane has acknowledged negligence following an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that affected 408 residents in the Bronkhorstspruit area. Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya stated on Monday that the municipal authority supplied unchlorinated water for three weeks without alerting the public that the supply was unsafe. The admission followed an investigation by the department of water and sanitation, which identified the failure to treat the water as the primary cause of the health crisis. The water in question was drawn from the Bronkhorstspruit River, a source heavily contaminated by sewage from dysfunctional wastewater treatment works under the Victor Khanye municipality and failing Tshwane sewage pump stations. According to the departmental inquiry, the water from the Bronkhorstspruit water treatment works went unchlorinated between September 24 and October 14. This period coincided with a dispute with the city’s chlorine supplier, whose prices had increased fourfold. Moya noted that the city was unable to reach an agreement through negotiations and that internal officials failed to inform city leadership about the shortage at the plant. Despite the lack of chemical treatment, the city did not warn residents that the water should not be consumed, cooked with, or used for washing or bathing, even after boiling. This omission violated the 2025 Compulsory Standards for Water Services issued under the Water Services Act. Between October 7 and 18, 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in the neighborhoods of Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, Dark City, Rethabiseng, and Sokhulumi. The majority of those affected were children under four years old. While no deaths had been reported as of Monday, the number of new cases peaked on October 13, with 72 individuals falling ill in a single day. An additional 16 cases were recorded on Sunday. Earlier reports from the city indicated that between 140 and 160 cases of diarrhea and related illnesses were being investigated initially, with patients treated at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, Mamelodi Hospital, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, and Wilgers Hospital. At that stage, authorities had not confirmed a link to the water supply, though a water-borne illness remained a possibility. A multidisciplinary team involving the city, district health services, and provincial and national health departments managed the initial response. Laboratory analysis by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases later detected norovirus, Campylobacter, and Shigella in three of four stool specimens analyzed. Other pathogens associated with stomach cramps and diarrhea were also present, though no cholera bacteria were found. A joint statement from the national health and water departments, the Gauteng provincial government, and the city concluded that the specific combination of pathogens and the rapid spread of illness pointed to the common water supply as the likely source. Water quality tests conducted on October 14 revealed extremely high levels of E. coli and total coliforms in water from the treatment works and the Ekandustria and Zithobeni reservoirs. Further testing is currently underway to identify other potential contaminants. In response to the crisis, the city closed the treatment works on October 14. Chlorine supply was restored the following day, and the facility reopened on October 16 to feed water into the distribution system. However, residents were advised that the water was not yet suitable for consumption. There is currently no timeframe for when the plant’s output will meet safety standards for drinking. Moya stated that the city’s immediate priority is preventing case numbers from rising and restoring a safe supply. Residents have been instructed to use tap water only for flushing toilets and to rely on city-owned tankers for drinking water. These tankers, which draw from Cullinan outside the affected area, are disinfected daily. Moya indicated that disciplinary action against officials responsible for managing the treatment works is proceeding via the city’s chief operating officer. The incident occurs while the city implements a Water Stabilisation Plan and a longer-term Water Master Plan at the Bronkhorstspruit plant. Planned upgrades include refurbishing the filtration system, upgrading pumping infrastructure, and cleaning reservoirs. A broader refurbishment is under procurement to modernize aging infrastructure and restore the facility toward its full design capacity of 54 million liters per day. Authorities aim to stabilize supply in the short term while addressing long-term water security issues.