Water and Sanitation marks major quality milestones
19 June 2025
In celebration of World Accreditation Day, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate hosted a recognition event on 17 June 2025 to honour recent achievements by two of its key branches. The Scientific Services Branch (SSB) was awarded both the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) and ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). The Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) branch also received ISO 9001:2015 certification.
‘It is a proud moment for the Water and Sanitation’s ISBS and SSB teams who have worked tirelessly towards successfully achieving their accreditation and certification. This gives us all extra reassurance that our Water and Sanitation Directorate’s branches operate with utmost efficiency and consistency in ensuring top-quality standards are applied at every step of the process. In the next few months, we can also expect the certification of the Customer Service branch,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
About ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation for SSB
The City’s Scientific Services Branch, based in Athlone, is the only municipal laboratory of its kind in South Africa. Its state-of-the-art labs conduct critical testing of water samples from rivers, dams, vleis, wastewater, industrial effluents, and drinking water, alongside 24/7 ambient air quality monitoring at designated stations across Cape Town.
SSB has held ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation (T0484) for its Microbiology, Chemistry, and Hydrobiology labs since 2011. In April 2025, the Air Quality Monitoring Laboratory received accreditation (T1119) under the same standard. SANAS also assesses compliance with its TR 07 supplementary requirements for continuous air quality monitoring.
The branch undergoes a five-year accreditation cycle, with surveillance assessments every 18 months. The most recent reassessments (in 2023 and 2024) approved the extension of its scope and added technical signatories in all labs. In 2024 alone, five new test methods were introduced and one revised.
This accreditation confirms SSB’s ability to consistently deliver reliable, high-quality analytical results in line with international standards. The detailed scope is available on the SANAS website.
About ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certification for SSB and ISBS
ISO 9001:2015 is the world’s leading quality management standard, with over one million certifications issued globally. Nine of the City’s 15 Water and Sanitation branches, and three of its 27 Wastewater Treatment Plants, are now ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Scientific Services Branch (SSB)
SSB achieved its certification in 2025, following successful completion of stage 1 and stage 2 audits. Benefits of this certification include improved efficiency, consistent service delivery, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a culture of continuous improvement. It also strengthens internal communication, staff engagement, and data-driven decision-making.
Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS)
ISBS’ achievement of being ISO 9001:2015 certified involved the successful completion of stage 1 and stage 2 assessments by SABS. ISBS provides basic water and sanitation services to residents in 713 informal settlement pockets across Cape Town, maintaining 68 781 toilets and 9 689 taps. This is aligned with National Norms and Standards of one toilet per five households and one tap per 25 households.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
