Happy 100th birthday Scientific Services

18 November 2024

At a celebratory event on 8 November 2024, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate marked 100 years since the establishment of the Scientific Services branch in Athlone. The water and air quality laboratories, managed through the expertise of a team of professionals, play a vital role in ensuring that residents have access to safe and excellent quality drinking water. The branch also closely monitors the quality of wastewater, inland and coastal waters, as well as air quality to safeguard the environment.

About Scientific Services:
• The laboratory analyses about 60 000 samples annually from various water sources, which includes drinking water, wastewater, borehole water, river water, dams, swimming pools, coastal water, pollution incidents and industrial effluents for over 300 industries. 
• About 200 drinking water samples are collected weekly at various sampling points; thus water quality is monitored as it flows through the 10 800km network of pumps, reservoirs and pipelines to get to our taps.
• Ambient air quality is also monitored at 13 stations across the city. This takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, subject to operational efficiencies.

Highlights and achievements:
• In 2007 an improved information management system was introduced. A comprehensive database of water quality results is still maintained and made accessible to external stakeholders. The data is currently uploaded to the National Department of Water Affairs IRIS, which is one of the tools used to track compliance with water quality standards.
• In 2009 the first handheld loggers were used during sampling. A logger records the GPS co-ordinates of a sample point on site, which is then cross checked when the information is uploaded electronically back at the laboratory, to ensure that samples were taken at the correct location.
• Scientific Services attained its first International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certification in 2014. ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard for laboratory testing and accreditation, which once achieved, demonstrates that laboratories are technically competent and generate credible results.
• In 2019 the building was extended to include an additional four laboratories and a lecture hall. This facilitated the procurement of some of the latest high-tech equipment, testing of contaminants of emerging concern and further research studies.
• In 2023 a new mobile lab was added to the fleet to provide for onsite sampling and testing where needed.

‘It is an honour to celebrate 100 phenomenal years of our Scientific Services. Many unsung heroes work diligently behind the scenes in white lab coats, testing the City’s water samples continuously to ensure that our tap water remains safe, compliant with SANS 241 standards and of excellent quality.

‘We are proud of the diverse staff complement, which includes highly qualified scientists and technicians. They are experts in the fields of chemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, biology, and chemical science, among others,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

In the early days
The first chemist was appointed to council in 1924, to control the purification process at the newly constructed Southern Suburbs Sewage Disposal Works in Athlone. From then onwards, Scientific Services continued to grow.

Shortly after the branch was established, it was tasked with investigating plumbo-solvency, which was the cause of lead poisoning. Following the outcome of this investigation, the recommendation implemented was to treat water in a way that decolourised and rendered it less corrosive; as well as to replace lead service pipes with copper pipes.

The first laboratory constructed was a 6,1m x 3,1m wood and iron shed, later replaced by a 25m² brick building. It served as the main laboratory building until 1952, when the majority of the infrastructure of the present day laboratory was constructed. Further extensions were added in 1964, which included a new wing with an additional 780,5m² floor space.

More recently in 2019, the branch opened their new state-of-the-art facility, boasting an additional four laboratories and a lecture hall auditorium. Operations continue from this site today.

‘Congratulations and well done to Water and Sanitation on reaching such a significant milestone! We look forward to upholding superb service standards for at least another 100 years to come,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

End

Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town