Cape Town – The company that built the desalination plant at the Waterfront, and is threatening the City of Cape Town with legal action over outstanding payments, said the city knew the water was contaminated before the tender was awarded.

Quality Filtration System (QFS) said they had uncovered information that the city was aware of the same contamination in the seawater in 2017 but neglected to divulge this information during the tender processes.

Herman Smit, managing director of QFS, said: “QFS have, via their legal adviser, formally advised the City that QFS do not believe the city is meeting its legal obligations to comply with the necessary water safety regulations. The city should be conducting routine tests of the local seawater quality and identifying any potential health risks.

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