A Northcliff family had a 5,000-litre JoJo tank installed for water backup. For two years the water looked perfectly clear. They used it for bathing, laundry, and even cooking during municipal outages. When their children started getting recurring stomach issues, they had the water tested.
E. coli and coliform bacteria were well above safe limits — algae had formed on the inner walls, and bird droppings had contaminated the inlet filter.
We tested, cleaned, and installed a UV steriliser on the tank outlet. The family now tests annually.
The point is straightforward: you cannot see, taste, or smell most waterborne contaminants. Clear water in your tank is not proof of safe water. The only way to know what is growing in your stored water is to test it properly.