Relax, Cape Town tap water is safe to drink and won't give you typhoid fever

The City of Cape Town on Thursday dismissed messages circulating via WhatsApp, warning residents against drinking municipal water and linking the “risk” to typhoid fever.

The city said water from its taps was safe to drink and met the standards of the SA National Drinking Water Standard (SANS241).

Water tested this week complied with the SA National Drinking Water Standard on Acute Health requirements and posed no public health risk. 

Patricia van der Ross, mayoral committee member for community services and health, warned of diarrhoea after an increase in cases. 

“The hot conditions in the city has led to a noticeable increase in the number of children brought to health facilities with symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.

“Unclean hands can spread viruses that cause diarrhoea. During hot summer days, food can easily get spoilt. If eaten, this can cause diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration. It is important to prepare and store food safely and to practise good hand hygiene at all times,” said van der Ross.

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Dr Juno Thomas, the head of the centre for enteric diseases at NICD, said the institute was investigating the outbreaks after 64 cases of typhoid fever were detected in the Cape Town Metro health district, the Cape Winelands and the Garden Route

18 cases in North West's Dr Kenneth Kaunda district

and 45 cases spread throughout Gauteng.