The drinking water system Blue Drop performance rating is as follows:

100%                     Exceptional drinking water quality management

95 - 99%              Managing drinking water quality with excellence

80 - 94%               Very good drinking water quality management

60 - 79%               Good drinking water quality management

50 - 59%               Reasonable (satisfactory) drinking water quality management

33.3 - 49%            Improvement required in drinking water quality management

<33.3%                 Significant improvement required in drinking water quality management

Blue Drop ratings refer to the quality of the management of the water system. The national average Blue Drop compliance level for the period starting March 2008 to February 2009 was 93.3%.The figure is lower than the target compliance level of 97% set by the department.

The North West had the lowest average Blue Drop score of the provinces at 40.0%. Five municipalities, including a district municipality, in the province had a score of zero because of their failure to adhere to the requirements of the Blue Drop Certification Programme. The five water services authorities are Matlosana City, Madibeng, Maquassi Hills, and Merafong municipalities, and the Bojanala District Municipality.

Gauteng had the highest average Blue Drop score at 74.4%. The report attributes the performance to the fact that there are three metropolitan municipalities (City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, and City of Ekurhuleni) in the province. Metros generally have better management of water systems than other municipalities, and all six metros were awarded Blue Drop status. Three local municipalities in the province obtained a score of zero because they failed to present the department with the required information for Blue Drop Certification assessment.

The lowest score among all municipalities for compliance with the Blue Drop Certification was zero. This score was given to several municipalities (local and district) which failed to, or were unable to, present the department with the required information for certification.

The City of Johannesburg had the best management of water systems, with a Blue Drop score of 100%, followed by the City of Cape Town at 99%. Water services authorities are awarded Blue Drop status if they comply with 95% of the weighted criteria in the biannual assessment. Only 22 of 402 municipalities and bulk water providers achieved Blue Drop status.

While Blue Drop scores refer to the quality of the management of the water, average water quality scores refer to the actual quality of drinking water. The province with the cleanest drinking water was Gauteng at 96.2%. All three metros in the province received average drinking water quality scores of 99%. According to the report, the North West had the worst drinking water quality out of the nine provinces at 71.5%.

The municipality with the cleanest drinking water was Cape Town with a score of 100%. The municipality with the worst drinking water was the Lephalale Local Municipality in Limpopo at 32.7%. The municipality’s poor drinking water quality, and poor management of water systems, earned it a Red Drop. Municipalities receive a Red Drop status if their water infrastructure is not operating properly and does not show signs of improvement.

The report said that one of the immediate concerns of the department is the quality of water in Jansenville and Klipplaat, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ikwezi local municipality in the Eastern Cape, because of recurring bacteriological failures which are linked with diarrhoea outbreaks. Poor communities without access to clean water are vulnerable to health risks such as diarrhoea and cholera.

The municipal outreach project aims to provide extensive research to municipalities covered by the Municipal Outreach Project. This will be done by means of publications, the project website, and workshops. A monthly publication called Fast Facts for Local Government (F3LG) is sent to local councillors, officials, and development organisations in the eight municipalities covered by the project. A weekly newsletter is posted on the project website on Fridays, and e-mailed to project beneficiaries. The annual South Africa Survey, published by the Institute, will be posted to municipalities and extracts posted on the project website.

-Nthamaga Kgafela