Drinking water crisis in South Africa: what you don’t know can seriously harm you

Since 1948, the quality of our water has been steadily declining. In those days, pollution was not a problem and post-war expansion and industrialization took off at a rapid pace. Little thought was given to pollution controls in the future and when we woke up we were in a crisis where we still are today.

Water distribution networks are overloaded and crumbling, insufficient money, insufficient political will, general apathy from local municipalities, and insufficient skills in the water industry are leading us to disaster. The Water Guidelines instituted at the end of 1996 are really inadequate, compared to overseas and First World countries. Some permitted contaminants in South Africa, such as arsenic, have up to 10 times the permitted levels designated as threatening by the US and European Environmental Protection Agency.

Pollution is just one of a myriad of problems. The main chemicals used in water treatment (chlorine, aluminum and fluoride) have side effects so bad that one wonders if it would not be better to take chances with the water. Tests conducted in the US have found a direct link between chlorine and cancer of the bladder, liver, pancreas, colon, rectum and urinary tract. Used in the Great War of 1914 and World War II as a chemical warfare agent, it is still used in gas form and pumped into water supplies to kill cells. In this case, the bacteria that cause diphtheria and cholera, etc., and it’s very good at what it does. When was the last time you heard about a cholera outbreak?

The problem is that chlorine can’t tell the difference between living cells and bacteria, so you and your family are on its blacklist, albeit without knowing it. Aluminum or Aluminum as it is called here in South Africa is equally bad being linked to senility, senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Fluoride – God forbid that they present that here, it is a murderer if it is not controlled very carefully. 1 part per million is beneficial in suppressing cavities and cavities in children only, 2 parts per million is poisonous. For everyone else it is just another poison to digest and deal with.

pH levels and soft, corrosive water cause great damage not only to distribution networks, but also to consumers’ metal pipes, plumbing, heaters, kettles, and geysers.

Ongoing studies at the University of Cape Town over the last 7 years in conjunction with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Water Research Commission have resulted in limited success and small pilot projects. For the homeowner, few solutions are cheap. Water treatment companies hold all the cards and they sure know how to get paid!

We drive through the beautiful Garden Route and admire the many rivers that look so “naturally clean” dark from the source and plant life, high up in the mountains and catchment area, not realizing that “dark ” is the cause of many hearts. purchase. The water is loaded with tannic acids from our beautiful flora known as Fynbos, for which the South African is world famous.

Tannins are one of the most difficult substances to eradicate, causing brown stains on clothes during washing and staining cisterns, toilet bowls and sinks. When combined with other elements in the water, such as low pH, iron, or manganese, they become almost impossible to eradicate. Water filters last over 6 weeks before needing to be changed. This insidious substance is more like a dye than a particle and penetrates everything.

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