The City of Cape Town was one of only three South African municipalities to receive a 100% score in the Blue Drop Certificate for Drinking Water Quality at the second Drinking Water Quality Conference held in Port Elizabeth in May this year.

This means that residents of Cape Town can be sure that the water in their taps is of good quality and is safe to drink.

The Blue Drop Certification process is the latest intervention for water quality assurance introduced by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and is awarded every year to Water Service Authorities that comply with their stringent set of criteria. The DWA regularly audits the country’s systems and processes to ensure that Water Service Authorities comply with national legislation when providing drinking water to consumers.

In order to qualify for the Blue Drop Certificate, a Water Service Authority has to comply with at least 95% of the criteria – including maintenance and monitoring of water catchment and storage areas and facilities, the pipeline and distribution systems and the water treatment facilities and processes.

In addition, the water quality has to be monitored throughout the distribution cycle from storage to the consumer, and needs to be compliant.

The stringent criteria also include adequate staffing with suitable skills coupled to a training regime.

According to Farouk Robertson, Communication Officer: Water and Sanitation Department, the award provides residents with the assurance that they are receiving good quality drinking water.

"It is important that residents of Cape Town know about this award and the results, so that people are aware of the quality of the water they drink," he says.

Clich here to view analytical data and approximate distribution for cape town drinking water.