HOME > COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT
The primary activities of uMngeni-uThukela Water, as pronounced in section 29 of the Water Services Act, is to provide water services (water supply and sanitation services) to other water services institutions in its service area.
In addition, section 30 of the Water Services Act, enables uMngeni-uThukela Water to undertake other activities, provided they do not impact negatively on the entity’s ability to perform its primary activity. These include:
Four (4) modern ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories make up the entity’s Laboratory Services. They are Chemistry, Microbiology, Hydrobiology and Soil Chemistry Testing, all with a long-established reputation of meeting international standards. Highly skilled and dedicated scientists, technicians and laboratory support staff, utilising modern analytical techniques enable this facility to provide a world-class service 365 days a year.
During the finacial year, the laboratory supported core business activities through:
Water samples from the entire supply system (catchment to consumer) are collected by a team of dedicated well-trained sampling officers daily throughout uMngeni-uThukela Water’s operational area, and are assessed in terms of physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics, as per SANS 241 standard requirements. The sampling activities are also governed and guided by ISO/IEC 9001 certification standard, to which they have to conform.
The analytical results are produced within specified times that form part of Service Level Agreements with end users. Supported by LabWare Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), water quality results are captured, validated, stored and reported timeously. Laboratory Services generates 30 000 to 40 000 analytical results per month from its four accredited laboratories, split as follows: Chemistry (Central Region), approximately 20 000; Chemistry (North East Region), approximately 10 000; Microbiology (Central Region), 5 000; Microbiology (North East Region), 1 000; Hydrobiology, 700 and Soil Chemistry, 100. The laboratories generated 443 292 test results in this financial year. Direct access to the results is also provided to external users via the Electronic Water Quality Management System (eWQMS), the IRIS Blue Drop System (BDS) and the IRIS Green Drop System (GDS).
In addition to assuring the quality of bulk water produced, Laboratory Services provides water testing and sampling services to municipalities and various private sector clients. This valuable service supports and assists municipalities to improve their IRIS Blue and Green Drop compliance. uMngeni-uThukela Water laboratories are ISO/IEC 17025-accredited, and have to constantly keep up with the requirements of the standard, in order to maintain their accreditation status. As such, Laboratory Services have successfully retained their ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation status after SANAS completed the Survelliance Assessment on the 20th August 2024 for the Pietermaritzburg laboratory, and on the 15th of May 2025 for the Richards Bay laboratory. The Pietermaritzburg Laboratory Management System with a minimum 25% of the Laboratory’s Chemistry Scope of Accreditation, which includes methods and Technical Signatories were assessed, with two non-conformance raised and cleared by SANAS after corrective action/s were implemented. Conversely, the latter was applicable for the Richards Bay laboratory in May 2025, where both Chemistry and Microbiology Scope of Accreditation was assessed, and five nonconformances were raised and cleared by SANAS. Both the Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay’s Certification of Accreditation shall be valid for five years considering successful SANAS Survelliance Assessments every 18 to 24 months, to ensure major efforts and commitments to the standard, thus achieving and enhancing customer and stakeholder quality assurance.
The Microbiology and Hydrobiology laboratories voluntarily suspended their accredited methods in May 2023 to allow for major refurbishment of the facilities. The refurbishment was successfully completed in April 2025, enhancing the laboratories’ infrastructure and capacity. Throughout this period, the laboratories remained committed to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and ensured that all test results produced were accurate, reliable, and credible. With the refurbishment now complete, the process of regaining accreditation has begun, with quality checks on methods finalised and preparations underway to apply to SANAS for assessment and reinstatement of accreditation.
uMngeni-uThukela Water will increase revenue streams by deploying responsive water and related solutions to the market using its intellectual capacity to minimise its heavy reliance on the tariff as a main source of revenue.
