Western Cape municipalities are making progress with safe drinking water according to latest Blue Drop Report
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning congratulated the Western Cape municipalities and entities which received a total of 15 Blue Drop Certifications in the 2023 Blue Drop Report as published by the National Department of Water and Sanitation. The Report evaluates water supply systems according to its design capacity, operational capacity, water quality, technical skills, and water safety plan.
“In the previous Report from 2014, we received 8 Blue Drop Certifications, so we have made progress and I want to thank and recognise the entities that worked hard to maintain their status and also those that improved on this very important service delivery metric,” Bredell said.
The Blue Drop Certifications were awarded to water supply systems in:
- Berg Rivier Municipality
- City of Cape Town Metro
- Drakenstein Municipality
- George Municipality
- Overstrand Municipality (Baardskeerdersbos, Buffeljags Bay, Buffelsrivier, Greater Gansbaai, Greater Hermanus, Kleinmond, Pearly Beach, and Stanford)
- Saldanha Bay Municipality
- Swartland Municipality
- Theewaterskloof Municipality
Minster Bredell said that challenges identified in the Report also need to be recognised and addressed. According to the Report, 8 water supply systems are in a critical condition: Beaufort West Municipality (Murrysburg and Nelspoort), Hessequa Municipality (Jongensfontein), Kannaland Municipality (Ladismith, Van Wyksdorp, and Zoar) and Prins Albert Municipality (Klaarstroom, Prince Albert).
“The Department of Local Government is investigating the root causes for these failures in the various water supply systems. We will provide support ranging from training of process controllers, support with infrastructure funding applications, and technical assistance as needed.”
The Western Cape has 25 Water Service Authorities, with 124 water supply systems, treating on average 1 162 422 kilolitres per day. The province has available capacity of 2 163 000 kilolitres per day, according to the Report.
Minister Bredell said that the Blue Drop Report augments and supports work done by the province with its 15-Year Western Cape Integrated Drought and Water Response Plan, which analysed all municipal water infrastructure and available water sources in the province. The Water Plan provides tools for municipalities to project their future water needs against different population growth and economic growth scenarios.
The Blue Drop Report can be downloaded at:
National: https://ws.dws.gov.za/IRIS/releases/BDN_2023_Report.pdf
Western Cape: https://ws.dws.gov.za/IRIS/releases/BD_2023_WC_Report.pdf
The 15-Year Western Cape Integrated Drought and Water Response Plan can be downloaded at:
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/search/node/integrated%20drought%20and%20water%20response%20plan
Contact:
Wouter Kriel
Spokesperson for Minister Anton Bredell
Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Cell: 079 694 3085
E-mail: Wouter.kriel@westerncape.gov.za
