Water quality is essential for human health, the environment, and the economy. Access to clean and safe water is a basic human right, and it is essential for personal hygiene, food preparation, and drinking. Impure water can contain harmful pollutants that can cause serious health problems such as waterborne diseases and infections.
LEWA is mandated, amongst other things, to establish, maintain, review, monitor and enforce service quality and technical standards for water supply and sewerage services. In doing this, the Authority, through its Technical Regulation Water Department (TRWD), undertook periodic inspections and audits at 16 Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) centres during which it conducted quality tests on potable water for microbiological contaminants, residual chlorine, and turbidity as well as on the effluent for suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand.
The Company’s performance in terms of water quality in the previous Financial Year was acceptable, while wastewater quality failed to meet the set standards. In an interview with LEWANEWS, the Authority’s Water Quality Officer, Ms. ‘Mapaseka Makhaba explained that potable water quality was still within levels that cannot be harmful to human and animal health, while wastewater quality could be unsafe for the environment, especially during dry seasons when there is minimal water flow in the receiving bodies. Following inspections and audits, the Authority communicates findings to WASCO, recommending remedial actions to be implemented to address identified areas of concern. Upon lapse of a specified timeframe given to WASCO to address concerns, the Authority conducts verification inspections and audits.
