The 2023 Blue Drop Report by the Department of Water and Sanitation paints a bleak picture of water services provided to residents by the Capricorn District Municipality (CDM).
CDM is one of the worst performing water services authority municipalities in the country with a blue drop status of 38.1% as compared to the required 95%.
It is gravely concerning that CDM’s rating dropped from 71.9% in 2014 to 38.1% in 2023.
Four of CDM’s assessed water works were regarded as critical since they failed to achieve 31% and must be placed under regulatory focus:
- Alldays – 19.15% – high risk
- Botlokwa – 21.18% – high risk
- Mogwadi – 4.75% – high risk
- Senwabarwana- 12% – high risk
The regression of the quality of drinking water is of concern as a cholera outbreak is a real threat to residents living in this area.
In 2023/24 financial year the CDM budgeted:
- R 262 000 for water safety plans and spent R 229 470;
- R 200 000 for water quality monitoring and sampling; and
- R 105 000 for disinfection chemicals and spent R 104 226.
Despite these measurements, CDM’s status regressed by 33.8% since 2014.
The DA will conduct oversights to the worst affected areas to ensure that their right to access clean water is enforced. We will also, as a matter of urgency, call on the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, to place Capricorn District Municipality under regulatory focus.