Laboratory tests on water samples in various sections of the Vaal River have revealed traces of cholera, the Northern Cape health department said on Tuesday.
Departmental spokesperson Shelley Fielding said the traces were found “specifically at Barkly West, Spitskop, Schmidtsdrift, the Vaalharts weir in Warrenton and the Vaalharts canal system”.
However, treated water is safe for all purposes as tests on this proved negative for cholera.
“Environmental conditions are thus favourable for cholera and other waterborne diseases, and the public is alerted not to drink any untreated or raw surface water from any source,” the department said in a statement.
Fielding said people living along the lower Vaal River system should also not swim in the rivers, ponds and canals, fish in them or use them for water sports.
All raw water must be made clean and safe before using it for household tasks and bathing.
Cholera is a potentially fatal disease that is transmitted by drinking contaminated water from rivers, wells, tanks and canals.
The disease can be contracted when unpurified water is used to clean eating utensils, through eating food washed or prepared with contaminated water, by washing clothing and bedding in contaminated rivers, or through poor sanitation and personal hygiene practices.
Fielding said it is essential that people with watery diarrhoea — a key symptom of cholera — immediately seek medical attention. — Sapa