DRINKING WATER QUALITY
IN SOUTH AFRICA
2008
Portfolio Committee Public Hearings on
Water Quality
“Its not only about science; Its mainly about People.”
DWQM Compliance
• Regulation 5 under Section 9 of the Water
Services Act of 1997:
– Suitable Monitoring Programme;
– Compare Results to SANS241:2006;
– Respond and Communicate.
• Regulation 2834 Water Act 1985
Requirements:
– Skills required per class of works.
• Section 62 of Water Services Act of 1997:
– Performance must be reported to the Minister.
Compliance Monitoring Challenges
• Compliance Monitoring discrepancies:
– DWQ Regulation monitoring determines fitness of water
supply for human consumption.
– EHP (Dept of Health) monitor environmental health.
– This difference in approach results into a difference
sampling approaches, i.e. disinfection of tap. This could
lead to a worse picture projected than reality.
– EHP’s only focus on E-coli, Total Coliforms, Heterotrophic
Plate Count. SANS 241 is much more extensive. Two of
these are Operational and not Compliance Limits. This
could lead to the under-projection of the reality.
• Too much focus is given to the monitoring of DWQ
while this is only the output of an extensive DWQ
Management approach.
The Context
• Globally, focus on water crises related to quantity, however
recently, with increasing environmental degradation, there
has been an acknowledgement that quality is central to the
“water crisis”
• Current focus in SA is ensuring access to safe drinking water
by all by 2008
• South Africa has set ambitious targets- ASGISA 6% economic
growth and this will have a bearing on both quantity and
quality of water
• Other sectors, e.g. DOA, DALA and DOH have set targets
that affect water. DOA’s target is to increase productivity of
sector by 10-15%, given that water quality is linked to
sustainable food production, what should be our response?
• It is OUR responsibility that water quality aspects are not lost
in all the above objectives
The Importance of both
Quantity and Quality
•
Water is life, and without it there is no life, development or
economic growth
• The Economy- no sector of the economy can do without
water
Increased growth and productivity in all the sectors of our
economy will have an impact on our water resourcesincreased incidents of pollution, pressure on existing
infrastructure, treatment works, hospitals etc. Studies
conducted in 1999 in China showed that the value of water
pollution was at about 0,5% of the countries GDP, what would
be the value in SA including loss of life?
• Health- 2 million children all over the world die of water
related disease, diarhea still the number one killer and not
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS a challenge in SA, poor drinking water quality will
have an adverse effect on the already vulnerable groups
Overview of current
South African DWQ situation
• The larger majority of the South African people are supplied
with safe drinking water, especially those residing in cities
and bigger towns. In some of the smaller towns the lack of
technical expertise and inadequate treatment infrastructure
have resulted in DWQ at times not complying with national
standards (SANS 241). Lately more than 50 000 sample
analysis; (per month) taken from 3200 sampling sites across
the country. For the past 13 months compliance levels with
Health Aspects of SANS 241:2006 have been on average
94% (this in spite of a remarkable increase in DWQ data
being submitted to DWAF.).
• This information derives from the 90% of WSA’s reporting
DWQ info to DWAF via the electronic water quality
management system. (In 2005 only 42% of WSA’s were
monitoring DWQ.)
Major sources of pollution
•
•
•
•
Mines (esp abandoned)
Industry
Poor/Improper Waste Management
Municipal Waste Water treatment
Works ( WWTW)
• Diffuse pollution from human
settlements
PRIORITIES ( Programmes)
• Water use authorizations: Licence conditions ( RoDsWaste)
• Training and capacity building: continued efforts (
shared knowledge & skill with Municipality)
• Training Program is being developed for Operators
• CM&E project: (Implementation BUT speed up
finalization of framework and concerted effort in
implementation. Many examples (in Gauteng and
Mpumalange, for instance) exist where mines comply to
directives being issued to them. DWAF also
successfully took the mines in the KOSH area
(Klerksdorp, Orkney, etc) to court in 2005.
PRIORITIES ( Programmes)
• Municipal waste water framework: developed within next 2
years; continued support to municipalities
• Implementation of Enforcement protocol: Request for cooperation of municipalities
• Waste Management: Function is now with DEAT Cooperative agreement with DEAT; implementation
• Eutrophication /nutrient management: framework
finalised, Implementation underway
• Awareness raising: project started
PRIORITIES ( Programmes)
• WWTWs status database; unlawful
use & Compliance status: share
information with regions; develop
agreed PoA
• Remediation of mercury
contaminated land: continuing
General Findings of DWQ
Regulatory Investigations
•
Process Controllers not always adequately skilled to operate water
treatment facilities.
– Solution: DWAF is reviewing Reg.2834, to ensure that WSA’s invest in
constantly building the capacity of process controllers.
•
Municipalities not availing sufficient funding for DWQM. (Especially
treatment chemicals and monitoring).
– Solution: DWAF has embarked on a plan to keep citizen’s informed with
credible information on the levels of confidence the Regulator has in
DWQ management in the various municipalities. Water Safety &
Security Plans are also being implemented.
•
Insufficient investment in infrastructure (treatment + reticulation).
– National Treasury has availed some funding to DWAF to be allocated to
smaller municipalities with bulk treatment infrastructure inadequacies.
•
It must be noted that even though some of the plants were
producing good quality water, the state of the infrastructure was far
from adequate.
– This is the single most concerning factor to DWAF since the threat
remains that our high levels of good quality tap water could decline
should we fail to make sufficient investments in the key DWQ assets.
Response to the Eastern Cape
Case
• Following revelation of infant deaths and possible links of
diarrhea cases to water quality failures, DWAF is taking a
stronger Regulatory stance. We are looking at intervention
measures to ensure that the DM adresses its capacity
constraints.
• Realized that DWQM is not only a technical / scientific issue,
but communication and social behavior issues equally
important,
• DWAF now distributing monthly letters to WSA’s instructing
WSA’s to notifying consumers of failures.
• Taking a proactive and where necessary a force full role.
• Ensure water safety & security plans implemented as lives
are at stake! ZERO TOLERANCE TO NON COMPLIANCE
Proactive and Reactive
Regulation of DWQM
DWQ Regulatory Initiatives
Information Management
1. Facilitation of DWQ Info Management by
means of the eWQMS roll-out. (>90%
WSA’s utilizing the DWQM system; Award
winning initiative; both IWA Europe and
NSTF Award).
2. DWAF developed its own Regulatory
system (automated data transferal
between eWQMS & DWQRS).
3. Data credibility assurance programme:
1. DWQ Laboratory Initiative (6 laboratories were
assessed)
2. Registration of DWQ Monitoring Programmes
3. Ad hoc Regulatory Audits
DWQ Regulatory Initiatives
Progressive Steps
1. Water Safety & Security Plan process
was initiated. A generic Plan was
developed together with WRC.
Considered as good practice by IWA and
WHO (May 2008).
1. All (9) the 2010 host cities and towns has
WS&SP.
2. Lately Kungwini (GP) and Standerton (MP)
were also included.
3. (Eastern Cape) Ndlambe; OR Tambo and
Ukhahlamba will be introduced to this initiative
within next 3 months.
4. Incremental roll-out in other Regions.
5. Rand Water developed accredited training;
DWAF & SALGA attended.
Water Safety & Security Plans
3 Main Benefits
• Fulfill the Definition of DWQM at WSA
/ WSI level.
• Will ensure that risks are known and
being managed and mitigated.
• The process will strategically inform
finance requirements for Infrastructure
Refurbishment (Asset Management).
DWQ Regulatory Initiatives
Progressive Regulation
1.
World Water Monitoring Day being used to
communicate DWQ to the wider public. (Citizen
Tap Water Confidence programmes)
2. DWQ Legislation & Standard Review (Reg. 5 +
R.2834; SANS 241:2006).
3. Rendered support for Sector Development
Initiatives e.g. TAC, Process Controller
development etc.
4. Blue Drop certification initiative.
• Inform the public on the quality of DWQ
Management in their area of residence….
Weighting of Blue Drop Certification
required criteria
Criterion
Allocated
Weight
(%)
1 Water Safety Plan
15
2 Registered WW and registered and licensed Process Controllers
10
3 Suitable, registered monitoring programme
5
4 Samples analysed in accredited or approved laboratories
5
5 Results submitted to DWAF monthly
5
6 Compliance with SANS 241, compliance classified as EXCELLENT
30
7 Acceptable management and communication of failures
15
8 Reporting and publishing of performance
5
9 Managed treatment processes, audits and inspections
10
95% compliance with Requirements required for BDC
100
Blue Drop Certification
3 Main Benefits
• Serves as a DWQ goal (Incentive for WSA /
WSI to achieve.
– Name and Praise
• Brings the Public Opinion into the equation.
– Ensure Citizen Confidence in tap water.
• Will reduce regulation load:
– Mutually beneficial for Regulator; Supplier &
Citizen.
Other Regulatory Issues
1.
Commenced facilitation of water treatment
chemical regulation intention.
Participate in beneficial Initiatives:
2.
–
–
–
3.
Sound Asset Management, The development of a WS
Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy;
Strengthening of the First Barrier (Waste Water
Management Regulation);
Promoting good DWQ on Private Land
Where gross failure (both DWQ and Waste
Water) is detected, the Department do take
action according to the Enforcement Protocol.
(Especially when WSA has the competency to
comply.)
Reactive Regulation Enforcing Compliance
Flow diagram
Support
Regulate according to PoA
Plan of Action Submission
Legal Action
Polluter PP
Meet Municipal management
Deliver formal notification
Phase B: Enforcement Protocol
Detect Non-compliance
CHALLENGES
Diarrhea Outbreaks
•
There are intelligence that suggests that outbreaks or the
sustained effects are not always due to poor water quality only.
Generally outbreaks can be linked to the following disease
pathways (triggers):
•
–
Consumption of contaminated water;
•
•
•
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
Tap water
Collected Tap Water
Untreated water
Consumption of contaminated food;
Fecal-oral route, Person to person;
Disease vectors such as flies;
Inhalation of contaminated pollen or dust particles;
Skin penetration of pests; eg. Hookworms;
Etc.
CSIR and DWAF is engaging to research this matter to provide
intelligence for future prevention.
–
–
Adequate Diarrhea records from Health would be crucial for such a
research.
Research commenced in Eastern Cape in parallel with other short
term initiatives.
Other Challenges
• General Deterioration of sub-surface water
resources (unconfined aquifers in rural areas.)
• Lack of municipal funds for adequate DWQM and
all subsequent challenges, such as:
– Insufficient monitoring
– Lack of operational monitoring equipment;
– Etc.
• Lack of Process Control and Infrastructure Asset
Management skills.
Way forward
• Minister’s budget vote speech indicates that DWAF to take a
tougher stance towards regulation- this applies to issues
around pollution, DWQM etc.
• Investigations and discussions being undertaken to look at
proactive measures of preventing incidences similar to those
of EC, e.g. the legislative framework, powers and functions,
and partnerships
• A strategy for WfGD is being developed, this will address
compressively water resources management in the context of
a growing economy.
Way forward
• DWAF is working on strengthening collaboration between
Dept of Housing, Health and DME to tackle issues related to
implications of poor service delivery
• The reality is DWAF is operating under serious capacity
constraints, the technical and scientific skills required to deal
with challenges not available in the country
• 100% compliance to DWQ targeted to be one of the
deliverables for 2010
• DWAF TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION TO
COMMITTTEE ON ISSUES RELATING TO POLLUTION
AND LICENCING
DWQ is not only about Science;
Its Mainly about People.
Thank you.
DWAF: DWQ REGULATION PROGRAMME