The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) closed down a local business in Gqeberha after discovering it was selling processed water.
The Metro's Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate received a complaint from a resident, which led to a joint operation on the premises this week.
Shannon Barkes, manager for Operations and Technical Support in the Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate, says they established that the property's water consumption was too high and then discovered an illegal bypass linked directly into the municipal pipeline.
He says 15 Jojo tanks and water trucks were discovered on the property, which were being filled daily.
Barkes says they have been monitoring the business for weeks and believe they have been operating for over a year.
He says they also supply water for swimming pools.
Algoa Park SAPS will conduct further investigations into damage to infrastructure, illegal bypass of municipal pipelines, and tampering with evidence.
The Metro says that in another building, the same business owner makes cold meats and sausages, which are sold to the public.
It was established that staff were not only illegal immigrants, but also slept, showered and had bathrooms where the meat is being prepared.
Staff also did not wear protective clothing while preparing the food, which is not compliant with health and safety measures.
Both businesses were shut down with immediate effect.
