Blue Drop Certification ensures a crystal clear future for South Africa’s water supply

The South African Department of Water & Environmental Affairs (DWEA) recently launched the Blue Drop Certification system a campaign that encourages local municipalities to improve their water quality management while empowering consumers with the right information about what is coming out of their taps.

Buyelwa Sonjica, the new DWEA minister, kicked the campaign off by awarding 22 water supply systems across South Africa with the prestigious Blue Drop following an assessment period conducted between March 2008 and January 2009.

Water Assessment is based on the following criteria:

• Skill levels of process controllers
• Operation and maintenance
• Operational and compliance monitoring
• Number of key analyses per population serviced
• Proof that analyses results are used effectively

The water assessment process yielded encouraging results in lieu of a nationwide average of 93% for complying with the microbiological limits of the national standards for drinking water quality. A wide variety of water supply systems were awarded Blue Drop Certification including two small rural systems – Peddie (Eastern Cape) and Loxton (Northern Cape). These small towns are proof that it is not impossible for smaller communities to achieve Blue Drop status. It is important to note that failure to achieve Blue Drop status does not mean that the municipality does not comply with drinking water standards. However, those municipalities with higher Blue Drop status achieved better overall sustained water quality. Low scoring municipalities will be placed under close scrutiny in an effort to improve the quality of drinking water.

How each province faired in the Blue Drop survey

• Gauteng faired the best with the vast majority of citizens being served from Blue Drop certified water supply systems.
• KwaZulu-Natal came in second place, however, there are concerns regarding the quality of drinking water in rural areas in that province where communities are at risk to waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera.
• The Western Cape (third place) complied with standards quite well with the City of Cape Town and George achieving a notable score of 100%.
• In fourth place, the Eastern Cape municipalities achieved an average score of 50%, while average drinking water compliance was 91, 6%. Interestingly, neither Nelson Mandela Metropolitan municipality nor Buffalo City obtained Blue Drop status (water quality in these municipalities is well within the limits of the national standard).
• Mpumalanga Blue Drop scores varied from exceptional to poor. Mpumalanga has had various diarrhea outbreaks in recent years; however, the national compliance is cause for concern since insufficient data prevents the DEWA from calculating a credible score.
• Similar concerns were experienced in Free State municipalities where 12 water services failed to adhere to the call to be assessed.
• In Limpopo, where huge challenges have been faced during recent cholera outbreaks, the highest Blue Drop score was 64%. A clear indication of the need for a system like the Blue Drop Certification to keep tabs on water quality improvements.
• North West province and the Northern Cape achieved the lowest Blue Drop scores at 40% and 28, 3% respectively. Despite the low scores the microbiological compliance of drinking water was still satisfactory in this province.

The whole process has proved that while there are areas in South Africa that require urgent intervention, tap water remains safe to drink in most cities and towns. A nationwide average of 93% was achieved with regards to observance of the microbiological limits of the national standards for drinking water quality.

Buyelwa Sonjica hopes that the public don’t view the Blue Drop report as “just another government document”. She says the DEWA are serious about their responsibility to improve the manner in which the drinking water of the South African public is managed. Thus far the department is satisfied with the majority of municipalities’ positive attitude towards the programme.

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