The Southern Regional Water Administration (ARA-Sul) has issued a warning to the population of Gaza province, advising against the use of Limpopo River water for human consumption, domestic use, agricultural irrigation, or livestock watering due to signs of contamination.
The alert follows the observation of an abnormal greenish coloration in the river water, a phenomenon also reported in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
According to a statement from ARA-Sul, an algal bloom was detected at the Betty Bridge monitoring station, located in South African territory, on July 14. Following this alert, technical teams from the four countries that share the Limpopo River basin began collecting water samples for laboratory analysis to identify the source of contamination and the pollutants involved. Sample collection began on July 18, with efforts focused on the Mapai region, where the phenomenon is already visible. Laboratory tests will assess whether the contamination is of industrial, mining, agricultural, or domestic sewage origin, and will also determine the type of pollutants—chemical, microbiological, toxic algae, or micropollutants.
ARA-Sul urges all Limpopo River users to immediately report any abnormalities observed in the watercourse, emphasizing that laboratory results will be released as soon as they become available. In the meantime, the recommendation is to avoid any direct use of the river water.
Source: O País
