Durban – eThekwini Municipality has outlined how the city’s water is tested at an SA National Standards-accredited laboratory.
The city, responding to complaints from residents about the colour and general quality of tap water, especially since the April floods, says water is regularly tested in the laboratory.
“Sampling and testing is undertaken for all eThekwini water treatment works, bulk water reservoirs, water tankers and reticulation systems in compliance with the requirements of the National Drinking Water Standard, SA National Standard (SANS) 241: 2015,” said the municipality.
In a video posted on the city’s Facebook page the process of testing is explained.
Sibusiso Mncibi, the manager of the Water and Sanitation Biological Laboratory, says the laboratory has been accredited for approximately 10 years.
In the video, it is explained that the samples are brought into the laboratory by bio monitors.
An employee of the laboratory explained that once the monitors are done, the samples are brought into the laboratory’s receiving bench.
“I then take the sample and I log them in, giving them a unique number … With this unique number we will be able to identify a specific sample and all the tests or analysis that need to be done under that specific sample.
“Once logging in is complete I then distribute the samples accordingly, to either the micro or chemistry lab or both depending on the sample,” she says.
She says the biological laboratory tests the hygiene of drinking water by testing for E.coli, among other things.
In addition, another employee says PH levels of the water are tested, conductivity which shows how dissolved the solids in the water are, as well as the appearance of the water to the naked eye.
A daily analysis of water is done.
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