Rand Water responds to claims made in article claiming that the Vaal River Barrage has high levels of E.Coli.

Image by Freepik
Rand Water is responding to an online article published by The Citizen on January 25, 2025, titled “Don’t drink the water! High levels of E. coli still found in these parts of the Vaal River.”
Rand Water released a statement that the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant (WTP) abstracts raw water from the Vaal Dam and not the Vaal River Barrage. The raw water goes through vigorous treatment processes at the Zuikerbosch WTP to produce potable drinking water that complies to the requirements of the South African National Standard for Drinking Water (SANS 241: 2015).
According to Rand Water, “The water quality data from the Zuikerbosch WTP complies with all the SANS 241: 2015 requirements which, amongst others, state that E. coli should not be detected in drinking water”. Rand Water maintains an intensive water quality monitoring programme that in terms of microbiology, includes testing for E. coli, as well as protozoan parasites and viruses.”
The statement continues: “Rand Water, as the bulk water services provider, remains committed to protecting the health of consumers by providing potable water that complies with SANS 241 standards and safe for human consumption.”