The all-clear has been given for water from the spring on the hilltop, after it was tested by Rhodes Pharmacy Department's Dr Roman Tandlich.
The all-clear has been given for water from the spring on the hilltop, after it was tested by Rhodes Pharmacy Department's Dr Roman Tandlich.
"The spring water has been retested and it is safe for human consumption in the context of concentration of E. coli, pH and turbidity," he said on Thursday 23 January.
"The actual values of concentration of E. Coli are below 0 cells per 100 ml, pH is 8.7 and turbidity is 0.5 ntu."
The spring, an increasingly popular source of water for the people of Grahamstown following the rise in water outages last year, was noticed to be increasingly cloudy by users.
A request was made for it to be checked if the water was safe for human consumption.
Safety Health and Enviromental officer, Nikki Kohly replied to concerns on the Grahamstown Parents Network.
“The cloudiness could be due to some disturbed soil particles, as a result of the recent rains and a higher water table.
"There might also be some green algae growing on the inside of the pipe, which is generally harmless.
"Contamination of the water by bacteria like E. coli is not likely, as the hillside above the spring is undisturbed and unpolluted."
"Some contamination by common bacteria (like Aeromonas sp) may be possible, but usually this is unlikely to have a human health impact," she added. "Boiling the water is nevertheless a good precaution."
Kohly further said that if there were any concerns, the Kowie Catchment Campaign (KCC) would ask Dr Tandlich or perhaps the Grahamstown Veterinary Clinic to do a detailed test of the spring water for the benefit of the community.
Following this, Dr Tandlich tested the spring water to check if there were any hazardous micro-organic threats present, as he usually does from time-to-time, discovering no reason to be alarmed.
