Drop in Green and Blue Drop ratings

GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality's Green Drop rating, which measures municipalities' wastewater management performance, is down from 94% in 2009 to 74% in 2021, according to the latest Green Drop Report issued in March.

In two other audits after 2009, George scored 91% (in 2011) and 85% (in 2013).

The Outeniqua wastewater works has a Green Drop score of 76% for 2021 compared with 80% in 2013 and the Gwaiing works has 71% for 2021 compared with 91% for 2013, when the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) did the previous assessment. The audit for 2021 reviews the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

According to the Blue Drop report for this period (rating drinking water supply systems), the municipality's overall risk rating (BDRR) is 40,1% (low risk). All four water supply systems under the municipality (George, Haarlem, Uniondale and Wilderness) are in the low-risk category, and had a 100% microbial compliance, as well as very high microbiological monitoring compliance and chemical compliance.

However, none of these systems achieved compliance for chemical monitoring. They also fared poorly in the technical skills rating, "which is an indication of inadequate presence of relevant process controllers, supervisors and maintenance teams", according to the report.

The Blue Drop and Green Drop certification programme, introduced by the DWS in 2008 to measure performance of water service institutions, audits five key areas of management: capacity, environmental, financial, technical management, and effluent and sludge.

George fares better in the Blue Drop than the Green Drop assessment. The George water supply system (WSS), Haarlem WSS, Uniondale WSS and Wilderness WSS fall in the low-risk category.

Comment from municipality

George Municipality says it still complies with the regulatory requirements. According to senior communications officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe, the municipality is working on the reporting requirements and is updating its Wastewater Risk Abatement Plan (W2RAP).

The process of procuring an accredited services provider to perform these services on behalf of the municipality started in April.

"The sludge treatment is going to be addressed with the new dewatering facility which is part of the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) projects," says Mangqwengqwe.

George still faring well compared with other municipalities

Mangqwengqwe says even though there is a decline in the Green Drop rating, George's rating is still higher than most municipalities in the country.

The lowered Green Drop score can also be contributed to the fact that the W2RAP reports were outdated, which is currently receiving attention.

George achieved the following scores in waste water management: Microbiological compliance: 84%, chemical compliance: 94%, physical compliance: 98%, and total average compliance for all plants: 92%.

"Three of our main sewer pump stations including Eden, Meul and Schaapkop, and Outeniqua and Gwaiing waste water treatment facilities are under upgrade and are receiving attention. The upgrades will improve our treated effluent quality discharged at our treatment facilities, into our river streams.

"This will have a direct positive influence on our future Green Drop compliance."

Regarding the Blue Drop report, Mangqwengqwe says the total average compliance for all plants is 98,2%.

"Civil Engineering Services appointed a professional engineering consultant to assist with the updating of the water safety plans and statutory reporting requirements as set out by the Blue Drop programme. The Blue Drop reporting parameters and reports will be submitted during June/July 2022."

He says the municipality in conjunction with the appointed professional engineering consultant is working on updating its water safety plans and to adhere to all the requirements as set out by the DWA. Both the old and new water treatment facilities are under upgrade and construction.

An additional new 20 megalitres of treatment capacity is under construction at the new water treatment facility. Upgrades at the old water treatment facility are also underway.

"All of these upgrades will have a direct positive influence on our future Blue Drop compliance."

Gardag concerned

Desiree du Preez, chairperson of the Garden Route Dam Action Group (Gardag), says the Blue and Green Drop results are not surprising.

"They confirm Gardag's concern over George's water quality. On the one hand it is gratifying to see that the municipality still meets the requirements of the standards. George is one of few municipalities in the country that is successful at this. On the other hand, one can see the degradation in the quality and management of our drinking and waste water.

"It is shocking that chemical monitoring of our drinking water scores only 14%, and at the same time we wonder where the 14% comes from, because there is no data of water samples on the DWA's website.

"One wonders which data was used to achieve the 96,4% chemical compliance. It is clear that only good quality samples are sent to the department. There is therefore concern that our municipality does not have a clue what is going on in our drinking water. And this is not surprising given the low level of technical expertise in the management of our drinking water."

Du Preez says the Green Drop report also reflects a worsening in the municipality's management ability of the waste water.

"It is not surprising when one looks at the quality of our water environment. One Green Drop aspect that is known to Gardag, is the lack of application of the regulations on the dumping of waste in the sewage system. Without knowing what is in our sewage, the waste water works cannot function effectively.

"These reports are timely - while a decision has to be made about the proposed development at the dam. Responses to comments about water pollution were clearly not well thought through, and this issue remains poorly addressed."

The 'Very Rough Order of Measurement' (Vroom) model was introduced for the first time as part of the Green Drop technical site assessments. The Vroom provides insights on the state of key elements of the waste water treatment infrastructure and is an indication of the cost to return the infrastructure to a functional condition.