Question NW2872 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
10 October 2023 - NW2872
Mkhonto, Ms C N to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)How frequently does he request (a) Blue Drop and (b) Green Drop reports from the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality; (2) whether his department has any monitoring and/or support system to respond to complaints related to Blue Drop and Green Drop reports; if not, why not; if so, on what date were the last such reports published?
Reply:
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is responsible for conducting the Blue and Green Drop assessments which audit water service providers (water and wastewater systems) nationally and compile reports for public consumption. The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is one of the 144 Water Services Authorities audited on its drinking water and wastewater systems countrywide.
1. The full departmental Blue and Green Drop audits are undertaken every two and in alternate years. In a year when the Blue Drop audit is done by the Department on all drinking water systems, the water service authorities conduct a Green Drop self-assessments to determine the risk rating that is reported as a Green Drop Progress Report. In the year when the Green Drop audit is done by the Department on all wastewater systems the water services authorities conduct a Blue Drop self-assessment to determine the risk rating that is reported as a Blue Drop Progress Report.
The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, together with all water services authorities, is required to monitor its drinking water quality in accordance with the national standards (SANS 241) and report the results on the DWS Integrated Regulatory Information System. Where there is non-compliance to the standard that poses a health risk to the community, they are required in terms of the Water Service Act and its norms and standards to notify the DWS as well as the Department of Health and to issue an advisory note to the areas affected. The Blue Drop audit verifies the adherence of water services authorities to these requirements.
The wastewater treatment works are regulated by water use authorisations and the National Water Act. The conditions of these authorisations set the performance conditions and reporting requirements. Compliance to these authorisations is monitored by the Compliance Monitoring unit within the DWS. The Green Drop audit incorporates a component of this work but looks at the complete system performance, financial aspects, and capacity of the water services Authority.
2. Complaints can be reported to the department via its toll-free number 0800 200 200, or email [email protected]. Complaints received are tracked in terms of the response and actions taken or to be taken. Reports are not prepared on these complaints, but the Department publishes the Blue and Green Drop Reports. In early October 2023, the Department will release its Blue Drop Report, the Green Drop Progress Report as well as its Compliance and Enforcement Annual report for 2022/23
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