ENG1502
Assignment 3
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS)
2024 (720331)-
DUE 22 August
2024
CONTACT:
Water crisis in South Africa A new report by South Africa’s Department of
Water and Sanitation paints a grim picture of the quality of the country’s
, drinking water, and its water infrastructure. The Blue Drop Audit Report is
meant to ensure that water service authorities are held accountable for
providing safe drinking water. The audit report found that the quality of the
country’s drinkable water is getting worse. Nearly half (46%) of all water
supply systems pose acute human health risks because of bacteria or other
pathogens in the drinking water supply. The report also found that more than
two thirds (67.6%) of all wastewater treatment works are close to failure. On
top of this it showed that over 47% of all clean and treated water was lost
through leaks, or could not be accounted for. The national Blue Drop Risk
Rating is an assessment focused on critical risk areas within water services. It
looks at water supply systems at a specific moment in time. This year’s report
showed that the overall risk had dropped from 52.3% in 2022 to 47.15% in
2023 after some water supply systems made improvements and improved
their risk category from critical or high to medium or low risk. But this should
not be celebrated. To achieve Blue Drop certification, water supply systems
must meet 95% of the criteria for delivering clean, drinkable water – and only
26 of South Africa’s 958 water supply systems managed this. The report found
that several water supply systems were operating close to or beyond their
design capacity. Monitoring and compliance were severely deficient. This
makes fixing problems impossible as the scale of the issues at stake are not
being identified. The report said that in 23 parts of the country, water supply
systems are in “poor and critical condition”. Almost half of all water supply
systems (46%) do not comply with microbiological standards. In these water
supply systems, drinking water is contaminated by sewage and bacteria.
Viruses and parasites such as Legionella and Cyanobacteria may have grown
in the piped water systems and or water sources. These present acute health
risks, such as gastro illnesses with diarrhoea usually being the prime
symptom. Other primary waterborne illnesses can include cholera, dysentery,
hepatitis A and typhoid. Another problem the report highlighted was that more
than half of the country’s municipalities (57%) do not notify water users when
they discover that the water has been contaminated. Not issuing notices or
warnings of contaminated drinking water places citizens at risk of contracting
waterborne illnesses and is an unacceptable practice due to the possible
serious health repercussions of drinking contaminated water. Anja Du Plessis,
9 December 2023 Source: 1. What is the writer’s purpose with this text?
Support the answer by referring closely to the text. (10 marks)
The writer's purpose in the text is to inform and raise awareness about the severe water crisis in
South Africa, specifically focusing on the deteriorating quality of drinking water and the
Assignment 3
(COMPLETE
ANSWERS)
2024 (720331)-
DUE 22 August
2024
CONTACT:
Water crisis in South Africa A new report by South Africa’s Department of
Water and Sanitation paints a grim picture of the quality of the country’s
, drinking water, and its water infrastructure. The Blue Drop Audit Report is
meant to ensure that water service authorities are held accountable for
providing safe drinking water. The audit report found that the quality of the
country’s drinkable water is getting worse. Nearly half (46%) of all water
supply systems pose acute human health risks because of bacteria or other
pathogens in the drinking water supply. The report also found that more than
two thirds (67.6%) of all wastewater treatment works are close to failure. On
top of this it showed that over 47% of all clean and treated water was lost
through leaks, or could not be accounted for. The national Blue Drop Risk
Rating is an assessment focused on critical risk areas within water services. It
looks at water supply systems at a specific moment in time. This year’s report
showed that the overall risk had dropped from 52.3% in 2022 to 47.15% in
2023 after some water supply systems made improvements and improved
their risk category from critical or high to medium or low risk. But this should
not be celebrated. To achieve Blue Drop certification, water supply systems
must meet 95% of the criteria for delivering clean, drinkable water – and only
26 of South Africa’s 958 water supply systems managed this. The report found
that several water supply systems were operating close to or beyond their
design capacity. Monitoring and compliance were severely deficient. This
makes fixing problems impossible as the scale of the issues at stake are not
being identified. The report said that in 23 parts of the country, water supply
systems are in “poor and critical condition”. Almost half of all water supply
systems (46%) do not comply with microbiological standards. In these water
supply systems, drinking water is contaminated by sewage and bacteria.
Viruses and parasites such as Legionella and Cyanobacteria may have grown
in the piped water systems and or water sources. These present acute health
risks, such as gastro illnesses with diarrhoea usually being the prime
symptom. Other primary waterborne illnesses can include cholera, dysentery,
hepatitis A and typhoid. Another problem the report highlighted was that more
than half of the country’s municipalities (57%) do not notify water users when
they discover that the water has been contaminated. Not issuing notices or
warnings of contaminated drinking water places citizens at risk of contracting
waterborne illnesses and is an unacceptable practice due to the possible
serious health repercussions of drinking contaminated water. Anja Du Plessis,
9 December 2023 Source: 1. What is the writer’s purpose with this text?
Support the answer by referring closely to the text. (10 marks)
The writer's purpose in the text is to inform and raise awareness about the severe water crisis in
South Africa, specifically focusing on the deteriorating quality of drinking water and the
