Lisa Isaacs
CAPE TOWN’S water ranks among the world’s cleanest, water-testing experts said after city officials collected samples from the Molteno reservoir in the city centre to be tested at the Scientific Services laboratory in Athlone.
Mpharu Hloyi, the laboratory’s manager, said yesterday the facility received 1 200 tests weekly, with about 50 scientists employed to process them.
The city has been awarded Blue Drop certification since 2008/9 after successively scoring at least 95 percent in criteria which include water quality, maintenance and monitoring of the catchment and storage areas and distribution systems.
The Blue Drop system was initiated by the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) as part of the Drinking Water Quality programme to instil public confidence in drinking water.
At the latest programme awards in 2012, the city obtained the highest score in the province (98.14 percent), which was also the sixth-best score in the country.
The city also received a Platinum Blue Drop Award for consistent excellent performance between 2009 and 2012.
There are 264 potable water sampling points across the city which are tested weekly, while hourly tests are done at eight city water treatment plants.
Samples taken at various sites are delivered to the Scientific Services, then distributed to the laboratory for testing. They will undergo over 30 tests to ensure the water is safe for consumption, Hloyi said.
“If sampling is done wrong, everything the lab produces is not credible. The integrity of the sampling point cannot be compromised,” said Mjikisile Vulindlu, head of the biology sciences laboratory.
Peter Flower, city director of water and sanitation, said: “Out in the suburbs, testing is done on a weekly basis, where the pipelines run. What we’re doing there is testing to see water being conveyed to houses is still in a good quality.
“If while testing at those typical points we find something is not right, or we find there is a trend of deterioration of that quality, then we will go and have a look to find out why.”
He said water quality could be compromised by accidental diesel spills and burst pipes.
“The testing we do is incredibly sensitive, so it will pick up the slightest bit of contamination,” Flower added.
Mayco member for utility services Ernest Sonnenberg said the key to efficient and reliable water testing was to have rigorous and efficient systems in place.
“This ensures that the quality of the service we deliver remains high, and we can continue to keep pace with growing demand.
“In order to safeguard the continued delivery of Blue Drop status water to our residents, the city keeps abreast of technology and best practice applied in the water sector, and aligns the training of our staff accordingly,” Sonnenberg said.
The entire process of testing the water is managed by the Laboratory Information Management System, which tracks the samples as they are subjected to various testing and analysis regimes. Test results are sent to all the line functions and the city’s health directorate for noting and action.
“The integrity of our water distribution system is assessed from source to tap, and the City of Cape Town has passed with flying colours,” Sonnenberg said.