Cape on alert for waterborne diseases

With 20 000 flood victims and nearly 6 500 homes still affected, the City is trying to prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases by draining stagnating water.

Charlotte Powell, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town Disaster Management Team said more than 60 informal settlements have been damaged by flooding and the City's Disaster Relief Team was conducting ongoing water checks in all communities, especially ones at risk of stagnant water.

The City's Disaster Management Team has alerted health authorities in the informal settlements.

All clinics in the settlements have been placed on high alert and advised to do regular checks of people and the surrounding environment, said Greg Pillay, Head of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management Centre.

They check stagnant water for waterborne diseases.
Stagnant water can be contaminated by many sources including sewage, said Ivan Bromfield, Executive Director of City Health.

"The longer the water is stagnant, the greater the risk of contamination," he said.

Diarrheal waterborne diseases such as E.coli are the greatest risk, and settlement residents have been advised not to drink, walk or play in standing water, he said.

- Cape Times