| History | Core business | Major clients |Quality Assurance | Drinking water quality |
| Wastewater treatment | The Environment | Contact us |

History

The laboratory was established in the 1920’s when it fell within the Drainage Department of City of Cape Town. Initially only the operation processes of the sewage works was monitored. Later the scope of work was extended to include water treatment plants. The laboratory became a full department under the Chemical Branch in the 1940’s. Later it became known as the Scientific Services Department (SSD) comprising of the following sections: Trade Waste, Hydrobiology, Wastewater, Water, Microbiology, Water Pollution Control and the Air Quality Monitoring Unit. Currently the Department has 3 laboratories viz. Water, Analytical, Biological Sciences with the Air Quality Unit as part of its secondary business.

In order for us to contribute to making Cape Town a World Class City, we at Scientific Services strive to: Build partnerships with all our internal and external clients and to maintain and strengthen our position as the leading provider of cost effective, analytical, monitoring and scientific advisory services in the Cape Metropolitan Area and beyond.

In order for the SSD to be the preferred service provider, we pledge the following:

• Qualified staff with specialist skills
• State of the art analytical instrumentation
• Modern & adequate laboratory facilities
• Sound service level agreements

Furthermore, we value…

• Our scientific impartiality and independence
• Confidence in our analytical results
• Positive work ethic and healthy working environment
• Dedicated to serving our clients

Core business and support functions

• Quality assurance of our laboratory functions, practices and processes
• Sample collection, analysis and reporting
• Monitoring the fate of water in the environment from source waters through potable and wastewater treatment facilities, and back into the environment
• Monitoring industrial effluent
• Monitoring air pollution
• Supporting the processes of water purification, wastewater treatment and waste management
  

Major clients

• Bulk Water
• Waste Water
• Waste Management
• Reticulation
• Public Amenities
• Catchment, River & Stormwater Management
• Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
• Other e.g. Industries and Tertiary Institutions

Quality assurance

The citizens of the City of Cape Town expect high water quality of domestic and industrial water supplies, unpolluted rivers, public amenities and the environment. The Scientific Services Laboratories with their comprehensive range of analysis, attention to quality and capacity to process samples in a short time, means that they deliver the quality of analysis on time, at the standard required.

This will be achieved by

• ISO 17025 accreditation
• Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
• State of the art analytical instrumentation

Drinking water quality

The Water laboratory at the Scientific Services Department conducts routine sampling and analysis on potable water from water treatment plants, groundwater and public swimming pools. Routine analyses are performed on domestic water supplies from source to reticulation for the City of Cape Town and beyond.

Water analysis includes physical, chemical and microbiological testing.


Wastewater treatment

The Analytical laboratory samples and analyses waste water from a range of sources which includes wastewater treatment plants, trade wastes from industrial processes, landfill leachates and sludges (biosolids).


The environment

The need for testing the impact of polluted waters on the environment increases as regulations become demanding.

Scientific Services Department in its Biological Sciences i.e. hydrobiology and microbiology laboratories has kept up with advances. For routine analysis and once off projects the range of analysis is extensive and includes:

• Marine water quality monitoring
• Nutrients
• Metals and organics
• Microbial analysis of dams, rivers, streams, vleis
• Macro invertebrates and algae to determine the health of our streams and lakes

Contact us

Scientific Services Department
P O Box 16548
Vlaeberg
8018

Tel: +2721 684 1000
Fax: +2721 638 5083

E-mail: scientific.services@capetown.gov.za