A survey conducted in 2004 found that fewer than half of municipalities had monitored drinking water quality as required by law. As a result, in 2005 the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry started a drinking water quality regulation programme whose aim was to ensure improved water quality through compliance monitoring. An incentive-based monitoring programme, named” blue drop certification”, followed in September 2008.

The blue drop system is a regulatory tool used by the department to monitor the status of drinking water quality management in South Africa.

Quality is assessed by a means of a performance index that measures whether municipalities and/or water provision authorities have good systems in place to treat, manage, and monitor the quality of drinking water in their respective supply systems. The index starts from a rating of less than 33%, which means the water supply system needs urgent attention. Between 33% and 50% means it needs more attention, 50%-75% means it is good, 75%-90% means it is very good, and more than 90% means it is excellent.

In 2010, the national blue drop rating was a good 71%. The Western Cape had the highest provincial blue drop rating, 93%, while the Northern Cape received the lowest rating, at 47%. 

At municipal level, 13% of municipalities had an excellent (more than 90%) performance rating, 12% received a very good (75%-90%) performance rating, while 30% received a good (50%-75%) performance rating. Some 21% of municipalities received a performance score of 33%-50%. Nearly a quarter of municipalities (24%) had water supply that needed urgent attention as they scored less than 33%.

The top ten water services authorities or municipalities that scored the highest blue drop ratings in 2010 are given below, together with the scores they received.

1. City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Water and Rand Water- 98%
2. City of Cape Town - 98%
3. Bitou (Western Cape) - 98%
4. Kgatelopele (Northern Cape) - 97.4%
5. George (Western Cape) - 97%
6. Ekurhuleni Metropolitan and Rand Water (Gauteng) -97%
7. Mogale City and Rand Water (Gauteng) - 97%
8. City of Tshwane, Rand Water, and Magalies Water (Gauteng) - 96%
9. eThekwini Metropolitan and Umgeni Water (KwaZulu Natal)- 96%
10. Dr. JS Moroka (Mpumalanga) - 96%

The introduction of the blue drop certification may have led to an improvement in drinking water quality. However, it is evident that water quality still needs some improvement as only 13% of municipalities received an excellent rating.

-Nachi Majoe