There's something in the water - Research highlights dangers of pollution to irrigation

Abstract

Water quality The effects of South Africa’s burgeoning population growth, relentless urbanisation and continuous growth of informal settlements, are leaving its mark on two of our most basic needs: water and food. Coupled with concurrent pressure on facilities such as housing and sewage works, a sobering picture has emerged of what increased developmental pressures has put into our water, and is getting on to what we eat as a result. Petro Kotzé investigates. A recently completed Water Research Commission (WRC)-funded study found conclusively that the quality of the water in some of our rivers used for irrigation are of an unacceptably standard and do not meet World Health Organisation (international) and Department of Water Affairs (national) guidelines for safe irrigation. The study confirmed that pathogenic (bacterial and viral) infestation in certain locations, in particular downstream of informal settlements, is transferred on to the surfaces of irrigated fresh produce on-farm. Some have described this as the potential development of a “bio-chemical time-bomb” in our rivers.

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