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Bulawayo water samples show 98.8% free of faecal contamination, Council reports
2 hrs ago |
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BULAWAYO - The Bulawayo City Council has reported encouraging results from its latest water quality monitoring exercise, revealing that 98.8% of water samples collected across the city tested negative for faecal coliforms—indicating no contamination from human waste.
According to council minutes under the Water Quality Monitoring and Environmental Pollution Activities Report, 85 samples were collected from sentinel sites for bacteriological analysis. Of these, 84 were free of faecal coliforms, 77.6% were satisfactory for non-faecal coliforms, and 92.9% met standards for total plate count.
Overall, 74.1% of the samples were deemed satisfactory across all three parameters. An additional four samples taken from alternative consumer endpoints also met safety standards.
“All samples were satisfactory with respect to total count and faecal coliforms,” the report noted. “Ten samples (66.67%) were satisfactory with respect to non-faecal coliforms.”
The council also conducted 40 sanitary inspections of boreholes, with two found unsatisfactory due to stagnant water caused by laundry activities. Onsite field tests showed acceptable turbidity levels and pH values ranging from 6.8 to 7.2. Residents were educated on hygiene and safe water handling practices.
However, the report highlighted that elderly, sick, or disabled residents may face challenges accessing water due to manual pumping difficulties.
Six primary schools - Mafakela, Mbizo, Inzwananzi, Wellspring, Matshayisikhova, and Fusi - were visited for WASH facility inspections. All had active health clubs and received hygiene education, with school administrations urged to maintain cleanliness in toilets, handwashing stations, and feeding areas.
Environmental surveillance was also conducted to track poliovirus circulation. Two sewage effluent samples from Cowdray Park and Richmond were sent to the National Virology Laboratory for analysis on 29 September 2025.
The findings underscore the city’s ongoing efforts to safeguard public health through rigorous water quality monitoring and sanitation education.
According to council minutes under the Water Quality Monitoring and Environmental Pollution Activities Report, 85 samples were collected from sentinel sites for bacteriological analysis. Of these, 84 were free of faecal coliforms, 77.6% were satisfactory for non-faecal coliforms, and 92.9% met standards for total plate count.
Overall, 74.1% of the samples were deemed satisfactory across all three parameters. An additional four samples taken from alternative consumer endpoints also met safety standards.
“All samples were satisfactory with respect to total count and faecal coliforms,” the report noted. “Ten samples (66.67%) were satisfactory with respect to non-faecal coliforms.”
The council also conducted 40 sanitary inspections of boreholes, with two found unsatisfactory due to stagnant water caused by laundry activities. Onsite field tests showed acceptable turbidity levels and pH values ranging from 6.8 to 7.2. Residents were educated on hygiene and safe water handling practices.
However, the report highlighted that elderly, sick, or disabled residents may face challenges accessing water due to manual pumping difficulties.
Six primary schools - Mafakela, Mbizo, Inzwananzi, Wellspring, Matshayisikhova, and Fusi - were visited for WASH facility inspections. All had active health clubs and received hygiene education, with school administrations urged to maintain cleanliness in toilets, handwashing stations, and feeding areas.
Environmental surveillance was also conducted to track poliovirus circulation. Two sewage effluent samples from Cowdray Park and Richmond were sent to the National Virology Laboratory for analysis on 29 September 2025.
The findings underscore the city’s ongoing efforts to safeguard public health through rigorous water quality monitoring and sanitation education.
Source - Byo24news
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