The City of Tshwane has warned residents in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas not to use water from taps for drinking following the outbreak of gastrointestinal infection or diarrhoeal disease in the area.
Various reports indicate that the outbreak has claimed the lives of at least seven people with more than 60 receiving treatment at the Jubilee Hospital for the infection.
The city said it regularly conducts tests on the quality of water provided to communities, and following this outbreak, “comprehensive tests will be done on the entire water distribution network.”
“Water samples have been collected in the affected areas and taken for tests and results are expected on Wednesday to determine the cause of the outbreak.
“The city is eagerly awaiting the confirmatory test results from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) to establish the cause of the outbreak,” it said in a statement.
Officials from the city’s health department are expected to collect further samples from water tankers that supply informal settlements.
