“Yes, we will be drinking tap water, and the nice thing is, we have kitchens everywhere,” Ms Prudence Magutle, municipal spokesperson, told the Observer on Tuesday during a dry session with the paper.

The Department for water and Sanitation, confirmed in writing, that Steve Tshwete had “again” retained its Blue Drop status, adding that “the municipality also retains its position as the top performing municipality in Mpumalanga”.

Apart from having the best water quality in Mpumalanga, Middelburg has been placed fourth overall countrywide, in regards to safe potable water.

In the department’s assessment for the 2014 Blue Drop report, the municipality scored 97% with five of its systems, Middelburg/Mhluzi, Hendrina, Komati Power Station, Arnot/Rietkuil Power Station and Hendrina/Pullenshope Power Station, attaining Blue Drop certification.

The Blue Drop certification programme allows for proactive management and regulation of drinking water quality management, based on legislated norms and standards, as well as international best practice.

This involves auditing of municipal water supply systems based on defined assessment criteria. The assessment criteria include quality compliance as prescribed by the SA National Standards (SANS) 241, and water planning which focuses on risk management among others.

Further criteria include asset management, operations and maintenance, design capacity, budgeting, technical skills availability and management support.

As part of water conservation, the No Drop criteria was introduced in the audit cycle, and this contributed to 3% overall Blue Drop score deduction for the municipality. The criteria looks at water use efficiency and water loss management within the systems, and will assist the municipality in reducing high volumes of water losses during purification processes and distribution.

Following the municipality’s Blue Drop certification, the in-house decision was taken that the municipality must lead by example, and exclusively use municipal tap water.

“The use of purified, bottled water is trending, though we want to say to people, don’t waste money, use what you’re given, and don’t take our quality assurance for it, believe the independent auditor,” Ms Magutle said.

She jokingly said that local water bottling businesses are competing with the municipality, though welcoming the jobs created by such businesses.