05/24/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/24/2023 09:22
24 May 2023 - Professor Craig Sheridan
Water expert shares guidelines on how to purify water at home in areas where there is uncertainty over water quality or poor sanitation.
Cholera has appeared across Gauteng and South Africa causing serious sickness and deaths. Although municipal water is still regarded as safe to use, there are areas that are vulnerable due to poor investment in water and sanitation.
Cholera is caused by a germ, which is found in the faecal matter (poop) of sick people. It is highly contagious and can spread by contact from mainly drinking contaminated water, food, or from unwashed hands.
The symptoms of cholera are watery diarrhoea (runny tummy), vomiting and leg cramps. If you get any of these symptoms, go to a health care provider immediately and tell them your symptoms.
To prevent cholera, you should wash your hands often and take steps to ensure your food and water are safe for use. Following these simple steps greatly reduces your risk of getting cholera in areas where cholera is spreading. If you are uncertain about your drinking water quality, these five steps will help to make sure it is safe.
Use bottled water to brush your teeth, wash and prepare food and drinks. Use bottled water with unbroken seals.If bottled water is not available, use water that has been properly boiled, chlorinated, or filtered.
Water from pipes, drinks sold in cups or bags, and ice may not be safe.
If you think your water may not be safe-treat it with a chlorine product (bleach), or filter it or boil it.
Boil your water
Boil your water for at least 1 minute. Preferably 2 minutes. This means once the bubbles start, wait for at least one minute. Once the water is boiled, cover it and keep it safe from being re-contaminated.
Treat with Bleach (Chlorine)
If the water is cloudy, first pass it through a filter paper (like a coffee filter paper or using a mutton cloth folded over 8 times). Treat your water with bleach like the "original Jik", unscented. Do not use scented products. Add 2 drops for every litre or add one teaspoon to 25L of water. Leave for half an hour. It should smell slightly of bleach. If it doesn't repeat the process.
Treat with Sunshine
If the water is cloudy, first pass it through a filter paper (like a coffee filter paper or using a mutton cloth folded over 8 times). Following this, put the water into a clear plastic bottle (like a Coke bottle with the label removed) smaller than 2L and leave the bottle in the direct sun for at least 8 hours. A flat roof made of corrugated iron is the perfect place for this. Put a few bottles on the roof so that you can get enough for more than one days. In cloudy weather the bottles must be on the roof for AT LEAST 2 DAYS.
Use toilets or safely managed sanitation facilities to get rid of faeces (poop) if you can. This includes disposal of children's poop.
Wash hands with soap and safe water after going to the bathroom or use sanitiser.
If you don't have access to a toilet do not poop in the river or near any water source (taps, rivers etc). Use communal chemical toilets and follow the rules. Do not put plastic bags in chemical toilets.
This resource was compiled byProfessor Craig Sheridan, Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Water Research and Director: Centre in Water Research and Development at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies.