Drinking water quality compliance
The Blue Drop Certification Programme is a Department of Water and Sanitation initiative that monitors, supports, and incentivizes Water Services Authorities on their Drinking Water Quality Management performance. Amatola Water participates in this programme as a bulk water supplier to municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) introduced a robust Water Services Regulation Strategy for the water sector, which intended to:
In 2008, DWS launched a Regulatory Strategy and introduced an Incentive-based Regulation, which monitors, supports and incentivizes Water Services Authorities on the performance of their Water Services function. This concept was defined by two programmes:
Compliance with SANS 241 drinking water quality standards
Effective water treatment processes and quality control systems
Proper maintenance and management of water infrastructure
Documented procedures and continuous improvement practices
Comprehensive risk assessment and management from source to tap
Regular testing and monitoring of water quality parameters
Effective treatment processes with proper operational controls
Meeting national drinking water quality standards
Maintenance of infrastructure and equipment
Transparent reporting to stakeholders and regulatory bodies
The Blue Drop System was originally designed with five (5) Key Performance Areas. For any Water Services Authority to achieve Blue Drop status, they need to obtain an overall score of ≥95% with Water Quality compliance as per SANS 241, within the total water services value chain.
The assessment process involves virtual assessments where municipalities upload their Portfolio of Evidence onto the Blue Drop System. This requires a joint effort between the operators of the total services infrastructure, from treatment to consumption.
As a Water Board providing bulk water to Water Services Authorities, Amatola Water's responsibility is primarily on the treatment and distribution of bulk water, from the source, up to the distribution reservoirs. The Water Services Authority is then responsible to distribute further to consumers whilst ensuring compliance.
Our Blue Drop certification demonstrates that Amatola Water meets and exceeds the stringent requirements set by the Department of Water and Sanitation for drinking water quality management in our areas of responsibility.
Achieving and maintaining Blue Drop certification reflects our ongoing commitment to providing safe, high-quality bulk potable water to Water Services Authorities in the Eastern Cape. We continuously monitor, assess, and improve our water quality management systems to ensure the highest standards are maintained throughout our treatment and distribution infrastructure.