Question NW3789 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
29 November 2023 - NW3789
Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)In light of the fact that water safety plans require municipalities to be measured on their compliance with microbiological and chemical content regulations, which municipalities did not comply with the prescribed (a) biological and (b) chemical regulations in the past three financial years; (2) whether his department has put in place (a) funds and (b) plans to address the matter; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) Risk management processes to manage water supply systems effectively were introduced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2004 and described as Water Safety Planning. A Water Safety Plan is a plan to ensure the safety of drinking water through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer.
In South Africa, the Water Safety Plan is a requirement for Blue Drop Certification (incentive-based regulation) and is also a critical component of drinking water management. The development of water safety plans is not yet a regulatory requirement in the norms and standards under the Water Services Act. The current Regulations relating to compulsory national standards and measures to conserve water (Regulation 509 of 8 June 2001) require Water Services Authorities to develop and implement a suitable programme of sampling and for which substances and determinants in the water will be tested. These results are tested in terms of the South African National Standards 241 (SANS 241). Should the results indicate that the water supplied poses a health risk, the water services institution must inform the Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Head of the relevant Provincial Department of Health. Furthermore, steps must be taken to inform consumers of the health risks, the reasons for the health risk, precautions that should be taken and the time frames if any, within which it may be expected that water that complies with SANS 241 will be provided.
In terms of the South African National Standards mentioned above, risk assessment requires that a municipality must monitor all the parameters listed in SANS 241 to ensure that risk identification is confirmed through scientific methods in the quality of water abstracted and produced as a measure to monitor risk minimisation. Thus, all drinking water systems in the country are obliged to comply with SANS 241 requirements as opposed to water safety planning principles.
(a-b) Water Services Authorities which did not comply with both microbiological and chemical quality as prescribed by SANS 241 in the past three years are listed in the table below. However, it should be noted that where the quality of compliance category reflects 0.00%, it should be interpreted as “No data submission” during the financial period, for either microbiological or chemical results to the Department.
|
Water Services Authority |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|||
|
Municipality |
Micro-biological |
Chemical |
Micro-biological |
Chemical |
Micro-biological |
Chemical |
|
Blue Crane Route LM |
NC |
0,00% |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Dr Beyers Naude LM |
C |
C |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Joe Gqabi DM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
0,00% |
|
Kouga LM |
C |
0,00% |
C |
C |
C |
0,00% |
|
Kou-Kamma LM |
NC |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
NC |
C |
|
Makana LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Ndlambe LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
0,00% |
|
Sunday`s River Valley LM |
NC |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
|
Dihlabeng LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Kopanong LM |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Mafube LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Maluti a Phofung LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Masilonyana LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Matjhabeng LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
C |
|
Mohokare LM |
NC |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
|
Moqhaka LM |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
C |
C |
|
Nala LM |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Nketoana LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Tokologo LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Harry Gwala DM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Capricorn DM |
C |
NC |
C |
C |
C |
C |
|
Modimolle / Mookgophong |
C |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
C |
|
Mogalakwena LM |
NC |
0,00% |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Thabazimbi LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Albert Luthuli LM |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Dipaleseng LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Dr JS Moroka LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
C |
C |
|
Emakhazeni LM |
C |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
|
Lekwa LM |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Msukaligwa LM |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Nkomazi LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Pixley Ka Seme LM |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Thaba Chweu LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
|
Thembisile LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Dr. Ruth S Mompati DM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Maquassi Hills LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Moretele LM |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
C |
|
Ngaka Modiri Molema DM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
!Kai! Garib LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Dikgatlong LM |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Emthanjeni LM |
NC |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Gamagara LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
0,00 |
0,00% |
|
Joe Morolong LM |
NC |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
C |
|
Kamiesberg LM |
NC |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
|
Khai-Ma LM |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Magareng LM |
C |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Phokwane LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
C |
C |
|
Renosterberg LM |
C |
0,00% |
0,00% |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Richtersveld LM |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
|
Siyancuma LM |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Siyathemba LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Tsantsabane LM |
C |
NC |
C |
NC |
0,00% |
0,00% |
|
Umsobomvu LM |
NC |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Kannaland LM |
C |
0,00% |
NC |
0,00% |
C |
0,00% |
|
Laingsburg LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Langeberg LM |
C |
C |
C |
C |
NC |
C |
|
Key: |
DM - District Municipality |
NC - Non-Compliant |
||||
|
LM – Local Municipality |
0.00% - no data submission |
C - Compliant |
(2) The Department has recommenced with the Blue Drop Certification Programme to intensify regulation and monitoring of the municipalities and ensure that all municipalities are assessed on all regulatory requirements. The intention is for municipalities to put mechanisms in place to improve compliance to microbiological and chemical requirements as prescribed by SANS 241. As a result, the Department realised some improvement of the drinking water quality management within the municipalities as far as compliance and data submission. With improved monitoring, more municipalities will ultimately improve on both microbiological and chemical compliance as required by the relevant regulation.
The water services reform process currently underway includes the review of the Water Services Act which will provide explicit regulation of drinking water quality as well as administrative enforcement powers similar to those outlined in the National Water Act. The offences under the Water Services Act will also be broadened to include failure to adhere to norms and standards. Lastly, the proposed introduction of licensing of water services providers will progressively ensure the improvement of water services provision against the norms and standards. The revision of the norms and standards as will include water safety plans and will be aligned to the amendments being made to the SANS 241.
The Department is assisting some of the worst performing municipalities with water safety planning and these activities are being undertaken in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency.
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