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Borehole water condemned after two years

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Five boreholes in Redcliff's Torwood suburb have been condemned after tests indicated that the their water is unfit for human consumption.

Five boreholes in Redcliff’s Torwood suburb have been condemned after tests indicated that the their water is unfit for human consumption.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

Minutes of a full council meeting held recently show that Redcliff allowed its Torwood residents to drink contaminated water for over two years without bothering to test its safety.

Councillor Clayton Masiyatsva, speaking in council, said this bordered on negligence by council management who only conducted tests two years later.

Masiyatsva said the negligence could have cost lives and exposed residents to diseases .

Water from the boreholes was reported to contain oil from effluent dumped by the dormant iron and steel-making plant Ziscosteel.

Council was now debating on what to do with the boreholes, two of them situated at Drake Primary School and Rugare shopping area.

Councillor Upharancia Duro suggested that the boreholes be painted red and clearly marked “not safe for drinking” so that residents could use the water for other domestic purposes.

Redcliff has over the past five years struggled to supply potable water to its Torwood residents who now rely heavily on shallow wells and boreholes for their water supply.

According to the minutes, council conducted a traditional ceremony to officially commission the boreholes when they were donated to the community.