Renovated laboratory will ensure better control at purification plant

The laboratory at the Parys Water Purification Plant, which was renovated and furnished at a cost of R2,2 million by De Beers Voorspoed Mine, in partnership with the Ngwathe Local Municipality, will mean that water sampling tests that had to be done by external labs in the past, can now be done locally and more frequently. According to Jonas Mabaso, the process controller at the plant, process controllers test water samples every two hours daily. According to the operational monitoring programme guidelines, they test for chlorine, turbidity, PH levels and conductivity during the purification process. If samples comply, the levels are stabilised.

Although the laboratory has always been onsite to assist with testing the samples, the laboratory is now better equipped for a broader spectrum of testing and compares with top facilities usually found in metros. The onsite laboratory will test for the same determinants as the process controllers, also daily, to confirm chlorine, PH, turbidity and conductivity levels. Besides the daily sampling, the Ngwathe lab will take weekly samples at 16 critical sampling points to check whether the water quality leaving the plant complies. The Fezile Dabi District Municipality previously did the sampling point tests.

Every week, the Ngwathe lab will also test for heavy- and alcany metals and hardness. The results of the daily E-Coli testing will be available within 48 hours. In the past, external labs only did these tests on a monthly basis. With more frequent testing being done locally, the process of checking on the water quality will be accelerated and problems can be rectified immediately, thus ensuring better control, says, Mabaso.

Ngwathe Municipality is currently awaiting the procurement of equipment for non-organics testing. After that, the Ngwathe lab will also be able to do tests related to the smell and taste of the purified water from the plant. At the moment, chemicals are already added during the purification process at the plant to address smell and taste of the water.

Four qualified lab assistants work in the Ngwathe lab. They are Nonkulaleko Mnisi (BSc Microbiology), Matau Thengelani (Biotechnology), Simbongile Maphanga (Analytical Chemistry) and Zane Mohapi (BSc Chemistry). Sampling is done by Mr Alfred Janjie. As the process controller at the plant, Jonas has a BSc Water and Sanitation qualification.

The testing for chemistry determinants is done according to SANS 241 of 2015.