Zorena Jantze
DUNDEE Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPM) has said that the contamination of drinking water supplied by the Municipality was not in any way as a result or consequent to the smelter’s operations.
In response to questions posed by the Informanté this week, Alina Garises, the public relations officer of Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb termed the issue as a “biological contamination”.
The small northern town’s mine, on 14 December 2022, issued a public notice to the municipality that the town’s water is below human consumption levels after conducting a routine quarterly sampling procedure.
“As a good corporate citizen who puts the health and well-being of people first, DPM informed the Municipality immediately upon receiving these results. We also acted promptly to supply our employees with bottled water as a precautionary measure until the Tsumeb Municipality resolves this issue. We strive to be a good partner to the local community and prioritize the wellbeing of public health. We will continue to support the Tsumeb Municipality in its efforts to resolve this issue,” said Zebra Kasete, Vice President and Managing Director.
He added that to date, the mine has alerted the municipality about their findings, shared the results and provided professional support by offering remedial action including laboratory support to test water treatment efficiency.
On a quarterly basis, DPM draws samples of its drinking water which are then sent to an external certified laboratory for testing.
When test results indicate that drinking water quality is outside of normal parameters, DPM’s procedure is to immediately notify the Municipality of Tsumeb of these results, and to take measures to ensure there is a supply of fresh, safe drinking water available to its employees.
