A new research has found that some water treatment companies in Juba are not following proper safety and sanitation procedures.

The research says the firms are dumping wastes in the River Nile, increasing health risks, while others release untreated oil spills onto open grounds, which affects food crops.

The research on the water factories and the use of plastic bags in Juba was organized and conducted by officials from the ministry.

The Minister, Josephine Napon, has said that there is a need for these companies to go through environmental audit.

Ms Napon said all water factories need to also establish safety and sanitation procedures and regular daily water test.

She said the chemicals used need to be treated and neutralized before being released to the environment.
She spoke after the release of the report yesterday.

“We the ministry are not against any company or any investment coming to our country. But we should actually follow it in a very right way, because if you really value the life of people of South Sudan then you should have been doing the right thing because this is very very bad,” Ms. Napon said.

“I think there is need for water factories to go through environmental audit, all water factories need to establish safety and sanitation procedures, regular daily water test, analysis is required, each water factor need to follow the right quantity of chemicals used during the water purification, each company need to avoid diesel or soil spill around the water factory, always chemical need to be treated and neutralize before being release to the environment,” she said.

The companies cited in the report are Starland, Africana, Fenkil General Trading, Ltd. and Shaba Dadodv Israeli.

The Assistant Inspector for Renewable Energy in the ministry of environment, Mabior Atem Ayiik, says there also need to regulate the quantity of chemicals used to treat water.

“Many of water companies are using Aluminum Sulphite plus Calcium Hypochlorite. So we find that the accuracy of those two chemicals are probably not leveled, so there is too much of calcium. It is causing the born degasses if it’s too much,” Mr Mabior said. “So there is too much chemicals have been putting in to the river water in South Sudan.”

Another recent assessment conducted by the Ministry shows that many water factories have been directing chemical residues and oil spill into the River Nile.