The City of Cape Town has advised that the precautionary water advisory relating to the Atlantic Seaboard has been lifted after extensive sampling revealed no health risks in the distribution system.
Last week residents in parts of Cape Town, that included the Camps Bay, Sea Point and Fresnaye were advised to refrain from drinking tap following complaints related to an unusual smell/taste of municipal tap water.
Reports indicated at the time that the water had an earthly/metallic character.
But on Friday, the City said the water was safe to drink.
“A possible reason for increased complaints is trace amounts of 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB). MIB is a nuisance compound with no health impact. It is produced by certain types of algae, which are at times present in the City’s dams.
Laboratory analysisÂ
“It is possible that rainfall on 26/27 April mobilised algal particles along the natural water course between the Woodhead Dam and transfer tunnel.
“Powdered activated carbon is routinely used to remove taste and odour when these issues are noticed at the plant, however in this case, no smell or taste was noticed by staff on site, and laboratory analysis was required to confirm the presence of MIB.
“Some residents’ palates are however very sensitive to even microscopic changes in the composition of the water.
“In general, if residents believe there is something wrong with their drinking water this should be reported to 0860 103 089 as soon as possible, so that it can be investigated,” the City said in a statement.
Picture: Unsplash
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Avoid drinking tap water, City warns residents in parts of Cape Town