" Accreditation System.

The Green Drop regulation programme was established by the Department of Water Affairs in 2008 and culminates in the prestigious Green Drop awards. This is to certify the wastewater systems of all municipalities and water service providers in South Africa. It rewards excellence in the management of wastewater from source, in sewer networks, its treatment at wastewater works and its final discharge to the receiving environment. Treatment works and associated wastewater networks are assessed by auditors to strict Green Drop criteria. These criteria ensure a high standard is maintained thus minimising risk to public health and the environment. The elusive Green Drop award is held in very high esteem. Small wastewater treatment (inclusive of package plants) are a common form of service utility in sewage treatment for smaller communities and are needed where sewerage reticulation is absent due to inadequate space, difficult terrain, remoteness of areas in need and where standards set are higher than the effluent quality obtained from simple septic tank systems. The SWWTW industry in South Africa has grown rapidly from a small base and is currently unregulated in terms of process design, construction materials, etc. Most of the suppliers are not process experts but rather entrepreneurs who have funded the development of their product using limited resources. In this industry, traditional maintenance contracts were not required by purchasers. Furthermore, some property developers provided the SWWTW suppliers with incorrect flow and strength data on which to base the design, or added extra housing units onto an existing plant without expanding it and Body Corporates also tended to neglect the operation and maintenance of the plants. The aims of this project were as follows: • Develop a framework of standards for small wastewater treatment technologies, which is practical for South Africa. • Assess and recommend how the framework of standards will work within the sector ensuring that duplication is eliminated in the process. • Develop a conceptual model with key criteria for an independent testing facility of the different technologies, including the evaluation of the feasibility of using existing in South Africa. • Develop an accreditation system for technologies by the various suppliers which will encompass technical and managerial aspects, including a modification of the Green Droplet System that is currently used by the Department of Water and Sanitation.