Minister of SA’s Department of Environmental Affairs announces Blue Drop and Green Drop 2011 results

2011/07/01

On Thursday 30th June 2011, The Minister of South Africa’s Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, Minister Edna Molewa, announced the results of the 2011 Green Drop Assessment during the 3rd Municipal Water Quality Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, highlighting that ‘South Africa’s Drinking water quality has shown continued improvement in the last 3 years’, however she added the need for continued improvement in respect to wastewater management.

The ‘Blue Drop’ programme for drinking water quality management and the ‘Green Drop’ programme for wastewater quality management certification programmes were adopted in South Africa in 2008, implemented by the Department of Water Affairs.

The programmes provide a stringent set of criteria with the aim of encouraging municipalities to improve their current progress towards achieving excellence in drinking water quality and wastewater regulation.

Municipalities in South Africa are awarded Blue Drop Status upon achieving a score of 95% through the rating process; Green Drop Status is awarded when a municipality’s wastewater system achieves a minimum score of 90%.

Of the 162 municipalities investigated for the Blue Drop report, 68 where awarded blue drop status in 2011. Whereas the Green Drop report saw 821 wastewater plants assessed in 156 municipalities of which 40 were awarded Green Drop status, with the national overall score for Green Drop rating being 71%.

The top three scores for the Blue Drop assessment were awarded to ICLEI members Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ekurhuleni Metro respectively whereas the top three Green Drop scores were achieved by Tlokwe Local Municipality, Bitou Local Municipality and eThekwini Metro, also an active ICLEI member.

ICLEI Africa congratulates these cities for their actions toward paving the way for sustainable water and sanitation in South Africa!