Remember swimming in a local dam, throwing kleilat, the ripples of jumping fish on the surface, the smell of reeds, squishy mud between your toes? It didn’t matter if you swallowed water or if you had an open cut wound, you were safe. With the rapidly deteriorating state of our water, what legacy is being left for our grandchildren?

A bad situation, getting worse…
As the population grows and the demand for water increases, the amount of untreated wastewater being generated is posing an extremely serious threat to the world as we know it. South Africa is not blessed with abundant water resources and pollution further reduces the quantity of wholesome potable water available. Mismanagement of wastewater leads to the contamination of our precious and scarce drinking water supply; insufficient control of human, industrial and food production waste water results in massive amounts of unclean water entering our fresh water supply chain and affecting our sensitive ecosystems.

Cholera infection rates and fatalities are increasing alarmingly. Largely, inadequacy in infrastructure and operating and management systems are the reasons for the wastewater crisis we now face. It is clear that wastewater management needs to undergo drastic and urgent changes.

It takes passion to see past, present and future.
The good news is that something significant is being done about the situation. The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has introduced an innovative and effective system to regulate water quality management through the ‘Blue Drop, Green Drop’ project. Through this system, services authorities will be awarded a Blue and/or Green Drop status if they comply with drinking water and wastewater legislation, quality standards and other practices required by the DWA. To achieve these levels, the responsible municipalities will be awarded a Blue Drop status for the maintenance of a high level of acceptable drinking water; sustainable and environmentally acceptable discharge of wastewater will earn a Green Drop status. A Red Drop (drinking water) and Purple Drop (wastewater) will indicate that there is a lot of work to be done by the relevant authorities.

For this exciting project to enjoy a long and fruitful life, the DWA concluded that the design, operations, maintenance and management of treatment works need to adhere to sustainable and effective standards. A robust, flexible and best whole-life cost design has to be put in place, and the people who will be using the designed facilities must be thoroughly trained. In addition the treatment plants must be built and commissioned to those same standards. This is where GIBB comes in, because GIBB changes lives. GIBB brings pride, passion and ownership back into sustainable solutions.

Bringing back the good old days.
In short, the ‘Blue Drop, Green Drop’ project is an inventory and measurement system of the treatment plants, people, processes and management. The appropriate design guidelines and quality standards are established by GIBB, DWA and municipalities working in partnership.  Designing and constructing a system is just part of the picture; to make sure that the system works, GIBB specialists provide on-site training so that process controllers acquire accreditation and the facilities are operated and maintained to the appropriate standards. The improvement of wastewater treatment facilities is a long-term process which needs thorough planning and phase implementation. Isn’t is encouraging to think that South Africa’s water could once again be restored to its position of being amongst the best in the world.


For more information please send your queries to marketing@gibb.co.za or visit www.gibb.co.za