A shortage of chlorine at a water treatment plant in Tshwane, South Africa (SA), is being investigated following an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that has affected hundreds of people.
Tshwane Mayor Doctor Nasiphi Moya says the city ran out of chlorine, a chemical used to disinfect drinking water, after failing to reach an agreement with a supplier over increased prices.
Moya says the city accepts responsibility for the failure.
“We do have an issue with the supplier. We’ve got one of those suppliers for chlorine where we, it’s monopoly. So what has happened is that the supplier basically increased the prices astronomically and we tried to negotiate and we couldn’t. We take responsibility for the negligence because it was during that time that then we ran out of chlorine and broncho sprayed.”
—ChannelAfrica—
