The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has appointed engineering consultants Royal HaskoningDHV to carry its 2013 Green Drop audit inspections on several water authorities in the Eastern Cape.

Buffalo City Municipality, Mthatha DWP, Mahjabeng Local Municipality, Msunduzi Local Authority and Zululand District Municipality will be inspected by the firm’s technical staff and data collected will be used to assess the authority’s compliance to the strict Green Drop criteria.

The Green Drop Regulation Programme was established by the Department of Water Affairs in 2008 to certify the wastewater systems of all municipalities and water service providers in South Africa.

The Green Drop rewards excellence in the management of wastewater during its journey from source, conveyance in sewer networks, its treatment at wastewater works and its final discharge to the receiving environment. Wastewater systems (treatment works and associated wastewater networks) are assessed by departmental auditors to strict green drop criteria such as: wastewater effluent quality; process control and maintenance; wastewater quality failure response management; wastewater sample analysis and monitoring programme; bylaws and asset management.

This process ensures that wastewater is conveyed and treated to high standards in order to minimise risk to public health as well as the environment.