Question NW1228 to the Minister of Health
21 April 2022 - NW1228
Tito, Ms LF to ask the Minister of Health
Noting water sample reports in our local municipalities, the portability of water and unacceptable levels of E. coli across all municipalities, which measures of intervention have been put in place by his department to ensure (a) the standardisation of water sample testing to a national standard and (b) testing labs that are controlled by the state?
Reply:
a) Water sampling testing is conducted by 2 authorities in Municipalities, i.e. the (1) Water Services Authorities in line with their mandate to provide water that is safe for human consumption, and (2) by Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) in municipalities in line with their role of water quality compliance monitoring, prescribed in the National Health Act, 61 of 2003, as amended. The Department of Health (DOH) has developed and has in place Norms and Standards for Health-related Water Quality Monitoring, as part of the National Environmental Health Norms and Standards, which aim to standardize the provision of Environmental Health Services in the country, including water quality monitoring. These standards provide clear protocols, proper techniques, preservation and transportation standards to be adhered to nationally when conducting water quality sampling in various water sources. The norms and standards further provide recommendations on frequencies of water sampling, in line with the SANS code 241: Drinking Water. The norms and standards further outline the requirement for Municipalities to develop Water Quality Monitoring Plans that are implemented across the country and these include waterborne disease monitoring plans to ensure that water consumption is safe for the communities. EHPs have been trained/capacitated on their responsibilities on water-related outbreak response and ensure reporting in accordance to the National guidelines on Notifiable medical conditions. The DOH also collaborates with other Ministries, i.e. Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Basic Education and Ministry of Human Settlements to also ensure that identified gaps at community or municipality level are addressed at policy making level.
Practitioners were capacitated and will continue to be capacitated on water sampling and testing standards to ensure credible water results.
b) The link between good water quality and credible testing and analysis is critical for protection of public health. This can only be achieved through a high national standard of testing by laboratories. The current regulatory environment for water testing laboratories lies with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and accreditation body, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Only test results from approved laboratories are accepted by DWS, as necessary element to be awarded Blue Drop and Green Drop Certification and for uploading data in the National water Information System.
The same requirement stands for water testing conducted by EHPs to ensure credible water quality results. Accreditation bodies such as the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) assess factors relevant to a laboratory’s ability to produce precise, accurate test and calibration data, including the technical competency of staff, validity and appropriateness of methods, traceability of measurements to national standards, suitability, calibration and maintenance of test equipment, suitable environmental conditions, handling of test items, quality assurance of test and/or calibration data. The DOH has not taken any measures to ensure testing labs that are controlled by the state, as this is outside of its mandate. However, the independence of testing labs needs to be protected and separated from the water providers. However, there is also acknowledgement of the importance of laboratories for Municipalities that may be used regularly for provisional sampling.
END.