Question NW2625 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Reply:

a)  The Green, Blue and No Drop reports are released every two years after the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) conducts comprehensive assessments of Water Treatment Works and municipal water distribution systems as well as wastewater systems in the country. Interim reports which are progress reports are released in the alternate year. The progress reports focus on the progress of municipalities in addressing the findings of the full Green, Blue and No Drop reports.

The intention of these uniquely South African regulatory tools is to improve municipal drinking water quality, wastewater management as well as water conservation and demand management. The Green, Blue and No Drop reports keep the public and stakeholders informed and updated with credible data and information about the state of water and sanitation services in the country. Water services institutions that achieve compliance and excellence in providing such services are also recognised for excellence. This serves as an incentive for water services institutions to improve their performance.

The reports identify what needs to be done to address each of the shortcomings identified in the reports. In this regard, the reports are a support mechanism, in addition to being a regulatory mechanism, because they provide the owners of the infrastructure (municipalities) with advice and guidance to improve water and sanitation services.

Beyond the comprehensive assessments of water and wastewater systems by the DWS and the continuous monitoring of progress made by municipalities, there are other mechanisms that Water Service Providers (WSP), including Water Boards and Water Service Authorities (WSA) must put in place to ensure compliance with the National Standards. Some of these include, amongst others:

• Municipalities and water boards are required by law to meet drinking water standards set by the South African Bureau of Standards in South African National Standard (SANS) 241 and must conduct regular tests on their treated water to ensure compliance with the standard. A water service provider or municipality must be agile and responsive when their tests indicate a challenge with the water quality compliance.

• The effluent from Wastewater Treatment Works which goes into rivers is also required to meet minimum standards, set by the DWS. Monitoring frequencies of these conditions are much higher than the Green Drop Assessments and water services providers must monitor compliance and provide corrective measures when required.

• WSAs and WSPs need to ensure proper metering, monitor and be responsive to reported water leaks to ensure timeous repairs of their infrastructure to reduce losses.

b) The following is being done to by DWS ensure compliance and provide support to municipalities and to improve the effectiveness of the monitoring tools:

• The Minister has agreed on action plans to address infrastructural deficiencies in many of the worst performing municipalities, and DWS is assisting municipalities with funding from the Water Services Infrastructure Grant and Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant to address these deficiencies.

• DWS is taking regulatory action in terms of the National Water Act, including issuing non-compliance notices, directives, taking civil action, and as a last resort, laying criminal charges against polluting municipalities that are non-responsive to regulatory actions taken by the DWS.

• DWS is drafting amendments to the Water Services Act to strengthen its role as the regulator of municipal water and sanitation services and to enable the Minister to intervene effectively when there is non-compliance with directives to stop pollution.

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