The City's Scientific Services laboratory was established in the 1920s to monitor the operation processes of Cape Town's sewage works. Later its scope of work was extended to include water treatment plants. The laboratory became a fully fledged department under the Water & Sanitation's chemical branch in the 1940s and soon afterwards was named the Scientific Services Department (SSD). It included Trade Waste, Hydrobiology, Wastewater, Water, Microbiology, Water Pollution Control and the Air Quality Monitoring Unit.

The department currently has three laboratories: Water, Analytical and Biological Sciences with the Air Quality Unit as part of its secondary business.

In order to contribute to making Cape Town a world class city, Scientific Services strives to build solid 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. 

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
• dedication 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

Biological Laboratory 

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

Through our biological sciences i.e. hydrobiology and microbiology laboratories, we have kept up with global advances. For routine analysis and once off projects, our 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
P O Box 16548
Vlaeberg
8018

Tel: +2721 684 1000
Fax: +2721 638 5083
E-mail: scientific.services@capetown.gov.za