Limpopo River declared safe despite alarming colour and odour

SOURCE OF LIFE

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Water in the Limpopo River has been declared safe, despite recent panic sparked by its unusual turquoise colour and chemical stench, after experts found no signs of contamination in lab tests.

This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo and AfriForum raised the alarm over suspected pollution in the Limpopo River, urging an urgent investigation amid growing fears over risks to farming, drinking water, and public health.

The Vhembe District in Limpopo, which relies on the river as a source of water, has a population of over 1,6 million. This population is spread across four local municipalities: Thulamela, Makhado, Collins Chabane, and Musina.

In a statement, AfriForum said it conducted its investigation by collecting five water samples from key sites in and around Musina.

“The samples have been submitted for urgent laboratory analysis to determine whether the water, particularly the town’s municipal drinking water, poses a health risk to local communities.”

According to Jacques Smalle, DA provincial spokesperson for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, local farmers were alarmed after the Limpopo River turned a strange turquoise green and began emitting a strong chemical odour, sparking fears of potential toxic contamination.

Smalle suspects the pollution originated from an industrial spill upstream.

“There is speculation that the pollution may have been caused either by a sludge dam spill from an upstream coal mine, possibly in the Thabazimbi or Ellisras region, or by a significant sewage spill.”

Reiterating these concerns, Deidre Carter, CEO of Agri Limpopo, emphasised the potential consequences of pollution on agriculture, surrounding communities, and the larger ecosystem. Fortunately, she noted that commercial farmers have not reported any contamination in their crops, attributing this to their ongoing vigilance in testing irrigation water regularly.

“There is currently no contamination of commercial produce. Commercial farmers are vigilant and routinely test their water before irrigation. The threat is being managed at the farm level through proactive measures,” said Carter, alleviating some fears among the agricultural community.

To counter rising public anxiety, water experts from the Vhembe District Municipality quickly mobilised, collecting samples from the Limpopo River on July 15. Just days later, the municipality issued a notice confirming the water's safety.

The notice attributed the river's strange green hue and chemical smell to a harmless algae bloom rather than pollution.

Water experts from Vhembe District Municipality took samples from the Limpopo River after reports of pollution sparked health and environmental concerns.

Image: Supplied

“The results for the Limpopo River tested at the laboratory on the 15th of July 2025, are negative. The greenish colour inside the river was caused by algae. However, the testing of water quality will continue to be conducted on a weekly basis to determine any contamination in the near future.”

The Star

masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za