The Democratic Alliance in Louis Trichardt has made known the shocking laboratory reports of drinking water samples taken in and around the town this week.

“The water test results that were received back from the National Health Laboratory Service in Johannesburg are not positive at all,” stated DA Councillor Brian du Plooy on March 1.

The tests samples, taken on February 22, were taken to examine potable water, which is defined in dictionaries as “drinking water suitable for human consumption” or “raw or treated water that is considered safe to drink” or “water that is free from disease-producing organisms, poisonous substances, chemical, biological and radio-active contaminants.”

The samples were taken at six locations. Three microbiological values were reported for every sample. The Standard Agar Plate Count should be below 100 cfu/ml. The plate count agar is a microbiological growth medium used to assess the total bacterial growth of a sample. The total coliform count should be 0 in 95% of samples, 1 in 4% of the samples and 10 in 1% of the samples. Escherichia coli, or E.coli (a bacterium indicating recent faecal pollution), should be 0 in 95% of samples, 0 in 4% of samples and 1 in 1% of samples. The total Coliform count and the E.coli are taken per 100ml. These requirements are according to SANS 241:2006 (South African National Standards).

* At Eltivillas the drinking water examination showed an Agar Plate count of 590 cfu/ml, which is much higher than the limit of 100. The coliform count is 4 and the E.coli count is 4.

* At Bergh Street, the Agar Plate Count is 75cfu/100ml, the coliform count is 7 and the E.coli count is 1.

* At Extension 2, the Agar Plate Count is 86cfu/100ml, the coliform count is 2 and the E.coli count is 0.

* At Tshikota, the Agar Plate Count is 735cfu/100ml, the coliform count is 0 and the E.coli count is 0.

* At Pompstasie, the Agar Plate Count is innumerable, the coliform is 4 and the E.coli is 1.

* At Sewerage the Agar Plate Count is innumerable, the coliform count is more than 2419 and the E.coli count is more than 2419.

Prof. Ben van der Waal of the University of Venda says that the Agar count, as well as the coliform count at Eltivillas, is too high.

“It shouldn’t be like that. It poses a small risk to persons drinking the water,” Van der Waal said. Concerning the sample taken at a location just named “Sewerage” and the tests performed for potable (drinking) water, Van der Waal said that the counts are too high, even for treated water.

“If it is water from the boreholes in the vicinity, then it is terrifying,” he said. Concerning the pump station, Van der Waal said that if the water sample was drawn from the dam, it indicates that they are drawing from a bad part of the water in the dam.

“If the sample was taken where the water goes to the reservoir, then there are serious problems,” Van der Waal said. In the past, Van der Waal was part of a team that made recommendations to improve the water quality drawn from the Albasini to the water purification plant.

The DA took a serious stance on the matter.

“The DA wants to warn residents in Louis Trichardt that the water is affected by E.coli and is not safe for drinking purposes as it contains faeces. The Coliform microbial density count is also being reported as very high – it must be nil … Borehole water is also affected as underground water flows in all directions. The raw sewerage that runs past municipal boreholes is definitely affecting the underground water as can be seen in the tests,” a DA statement reads.