BLUE DROP SUCCESS: private sector shines

South African Water Works (SAWW) received 5 out of 26 Blue Drop Awards through its two subsidiaries – Siza Water and Silulumanzi. Siza Water is rated as the third best water service provider in South Africa, while Silulumanzi is the only water service provider to achieve Blue Drop accreditation in Mpumalanga.

The Blue Drop Certification Programme was introduced in 2008 whereby the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) measures all aspects contributing towards the provision of safe water. The programme aligns to the best practices of the World Health Organization’s Water Safety Planning concept as the basis for a proactive, risk-based approach to drinking water quality management – from catchment to consumer. Hence, besides drinking water quality, the audit for Blue Drop also focuses on the operations and maintenance, capital investment, asset registers, as well as staff competency and training.

“The reinstatement of the Blue Drop Report is a positive movement towards cultivating a trustworthy and efficient water sector in South Africa, it will go a long way towards improving and giving the public assurance regarding potable water quality. The Blue Drop Certification Programme has previously received international accolades due its incentive-based regulation and thorough certification process. Sadly, there has been a significant deterioration in scores since its last official release date in 2014. This indicates that a lot of remedial work has to be done within the sector,” states Shyam Misra, Group MD of SAWW.

SAWW success

Fortunately, SAWW has maintained the integrity of the water systems it operates via subsidiaries: Siza Water and Silulumanzi. The current Blue Drop Report evaluated all 958 water supply systems across 144 water services authorities. A total of 44 supply systems received Blue Drop status in 2014, and only 26 supply systems received Blue Drop status in 2023. While there was an overall decline in Blue Drop scores (more than 50% of water supply systems were found unsuitable), SAWW has maintained high standards, where it achieved 5 of the 26 Blue Drop Awards.

SAWW received Blue Drop Awards (scoring over 95%) for:

• Siza Water – The Dolphin Coast System – Ilembe District of KwaZulu Natal

• Karino Water Treatment Works – City of Mbombela

• Matsulu Water Treatment Works – City of Mbombela

• Primkop Water Treatment Works – City of Mbombela

• Nelspruit Water Supply – City of Mbombela.

According to Misra, one of the key reasons SAWW has scored so highly in the Blue Drop Report is the continued training and development of its staff. “From a plumber to an engineer, we ensure that our staff members have the qualifications, experience, and skills to perform their tasks as accurately and efficiently as possible. We are constantly evaluating available skill sets and gaps in our organisation to ensure we deliver quality services to our consumers. We also focus on keeping our employees engaged and motivated. I must express my gratitude towards SAWW’s dedicated staff and their commitment to providing world-class water services.”

He adds that SAWW places a strong emphasis on governance and risk management to ensure strict adherence to all national laws, local bylaws, and our internal policies. “Both of our subsidiaries are ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 18001 (Occupational Health & Safety), and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) accredited. We strive to ensure compliance to the contract agreements that we have with municipalities as well as our customers. As a proudly South African company, we want to deliver professional and quality service to the country.”

The road ahead

While Siza Water was rated as the third best water provider in the country, and the only service provider within the iLembe District Municipality that has achieved Blue Drop status, the concession is looking to claim back the status as “South Africa’s best water provider” that it had in 2014.

“While we have celebrated the success of achieving Blue Drop accreditations, we have already analysed the audit scores on how to further improve and have identifed the areas for improvement,” explains Misra.

SAWW also has to contend with climate change, and the impact of the resultant floods and droughts. It is making plans to ensure water security and resilience in the face of climate change.

“As a proudly South African company, with our trackrecord and quality of services for over two decades, SAWW [is] ready to assist other municipalities to deliver safe, clean, and reliable water services to their communities. Through our services, we can create an enabling environment for economic development, as well as assist in restoring faith in government services in South Africa,” says Misra.