More than one hundred families in Marakong Village, QwaQwa, are facing a serious public health emergency after live bloodworms were reported and then confirmed in water flowing from household taps.
After receiving multiple complaints from residents, Free State water activists working closely with WaterCAN visited the area, collected samples from several households, and confirmed the presence of bloodworms. Authorities were immediately alerted.
Maluti a Phofung Water (Pty) Ltd, commonly known as MAP Water, attended the site, confirmed the presence of worms, and shut off the water supply to the affected area.
WaterCAN has been informed that the piped system is now being flushed and that valves will only be reopened once the water is declared safe for human consumption. MAP Water has told activists that residents may have to wait up to two weeks for laboratory results.
Nomsa Daele, WaterCAN’s citizen science and training coordinator, said that while the rapid shutdown response and the move to flush the system are welcome, testing must be treated as urgent.
“The water testing should be fast tracked. Fourteen days is extremely long. The testing should take no more than three days. There has also clearly been a failure of maintenance and oversight. Bloodworms develop where there are high levels of decomposing organic matter. Those conditions should never exist in a water treatment and supply system. The cause must be identified, fixed, and verified fast,” Daele said.
Local water activist Tabi Moloi, who was on the ground with residents along with fellow water activist Dipuo Hlalele, said the situation is already harming the community.
“People are scared. Children and the elderly are getting sick. Even if the system is flushed, we fear the worms will return. The reservoirs and the entire infrastructure must be urgently inspected. The community cannot be told to wait two weeks while their health is at risk,” Moloi said.
Hlalele said the water authority’s failure to properly manage the area’s water resources required an urgent investigation by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
“This is a grave case of mismanagement. The fact that conditions at the area’s water treatment facilities were allowed to deteriorate to this state raises serious red flags about oversight. This time it is bloodworms, but next time it could be cholera,” Hlalele said.
WaterCAN demands:
Immediate provision of safe alternative drinking water to every affected household. Full inspection of reservoirs, storage, and the local distribution network. Immediate identification of the root cause of contamination and a plan to prevent recurrence. Transparent, daily communication with residents on progress and results. Accelerated laboratory testing and immediate release of results due to the serious health risk.
For media queries contact:
Nomsa Daele, WaterCAN citizen science and training coordinator, 062 797 0829
Tabi Moloi, Free State water activist, 079 766 3265
Images for media can be downloaded here
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