The eThekwini Municipality, represented by eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit, was recently awarded the best Green Drop performance in KwaZulu-Natal for its waste water management system. The City was also awarded for its top-10 position in the country as the leading Metropolitan Municipality with a score of 90.6%. It also won a magnificent trophy for the largest volume of wastewater processed to green drop requirements in the country. The Municipality was again nominated for the best Green Drop team award for its integrated teamwork and preparation for the assessments.
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.
The above criteria ensure that wastewater is conveyed and treated to high standards in order to minimise risk to public health as well as the environment.
After assessing a record national total of 821 wastewater systems in 2010, the Department of Water Affairs awarded a total of 40 Green Drops at a ceremony in Cape Town recently. The awards were presented to the winners by the Minister of Water Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa. A total of 9 wastewater systems in the Municipality received the prestigious and attractive green drop award. These are:’Amanzimtoti; Kingsburgh; Umkomaas; Craigieburne; Magabheni; Southern; Central; Phoenix and Umdloti. The best performing system was Phoenix with a Green Drop score of 99.4%.
This performance by the Municipality carried KwaZulu-Natal to an overall provincial green drop score of 82%. The high green drop score achieved demonstrates, as it did in the 2009 assessment, that the Municipality’s Green Drop team is striving for and achieving high standards in the management and delivery of an effective and efficient wastewater service.
