In an age where the term “fake news” is thrown around by the President of the United States of America, and used by legitimate sources to discredit information spread by illegitimate news “agencies”, people still have the habit of blindly sharing information that screams bullshit.

I mean, how many times do we have to tell you not to believe information from a weird source without verifying it first?

And don’t pretend you’re innocent, Cape Town.

While the water crisis has left many fretting about the future of their potable water supply, forcing people across the peninsula to cut down on their usage in an effort to put off the impending disaster we are heading for, many are sharing false information.

The result? Chaos and silly assumptions – oh, and regular press releases issued by the City quashing the misinformation.

Lately people have been sharing a “doctor’s” comment on how the water is making people sick, originating from the abnormal smell and taste of the water supply as dam levels dropped to 27.3% yesterday.

Side bar – check this “visual guide” to the levels of the dams that supply Cape Town:

Back to the doctor…

The City has confirmed that the water is, in fact, A-OK – and they are just treating it for a harmless organic compound, geosmin, which is the reason the water’s smell and taste has been affected.

More from News24:

To counter it, the city had increased dosing the water with powdered activated carbon during the treatment process. It assured residents that geosmin was completely harmless and that the city’s water supplies were constantly monitored by sample analysis.

“It must be emphasised that geosmin poses no threat to human health. Even minute concentrations can be detected by the incredibly sensitive human palate,” councillor Xanthea Limberg , who oversees water, sanitation, and informal settlements, said in a statement.

So just what is geosmin? It is one of the “storm scents” detected by the nose as a musty, earthy smell when the rain falls on dry earth. Basically, it’s the smell of rain:

It is a metabolic by-product of bacteria or blue-green algae. It contributes to the “rain smell” known as petrichor.

Also associated with the smell of beetroot, geosmin has been detected in water drawn from the Theewaterskloof Dam, which supplies the city.

No idea why they are treating that but let’s move on…

Another hoax that Limberg rejected has to do with the City cutting off water supplies:

Such blanket cut-offs are not done. Residents must not fall for this type of panic-mongering.

Although, once again, water pressure might be reduced.

So now you know. Let’s just hope that next time you see a piece of fake news or information shared without due diligence you call that person out.

[source:news24]