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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.

Issued by Tiny Doraine Ramathabatha Chidi - DA Councillor - Capricorn District Municipality