Safe Water Depends on the People Behind the Treatment Process
Every time someone turns on a tap, they expect the water to be safe. Making that possible depends on complex treatment processes and the professionals responsible for ensuring they work effectively.
These professionals are called Process Controllers and they play a critical role in protecting public health. They monitor treatment processes, assess water quality and make decisions that affect entire communities. Their work requires technical knowledge, practical experience and sound judgement.
When water quality incidents occur, attention often focuses on what went wrong. Preventing future incidents, however, requires looking at the professional standards, skills and operational conditions needed to ensure treatment works are properly managed.
Regulation 3630 raises the bar for the profession
South Africa’s Regulation 3630, published on 30 June 2023, represents an important step towards professionalising the water services sector. It establishes requirements relating to the classification of water services works and the qualifications, competency and registration of Process Controllers, including the professional requirements applicable to Class V and Class VI personnel.
Operating a water treatment works requires specialised knowledge and training. Process Controllers must understand treatment processes, recognise potential problems and know how to respond when conditions change.
Meeting regulatory requirements should not be treated as a once-off exercise. Professionals must continually develop their skills, update their knowledge and keep pace with changes in treatment technologies and operational practices.
“Safe water does not happen by accident. It depends on competent people, reliable infrastructure and responsible leadership. Process Controllers carry an enormous responsibility for protecting public health. We must ensure that they are properly trained, professionally recognised, adequately resourced and supported. Regulation 3630 provides an important foundation, but its success will depend on how seriously we implement it,” says Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA).
Professional competence needs operational support
Having qualified people in place is essential, but they cannot maintain effective treatment processes without the necessary resources.
Treatment works depend on functional equipment, sufficient chemical supplies, regular maintenance and adequate operational budgets. Delayed repairs, equipment breakdowns and chemical shortages can compromise treatment performance.
Process Controllers are often best placed to identify operational risks and understand where vulnerabilities lie. Their practical experience should inform decisions about maintenance, budgets and infrastructure investment.
Retaining experienced professionals is equally important. When skilled Process Controllers leave the sector, they take valuable practical knowledge with them. Their remuneration, career prospects and opportunities for advancement should reflect the technical demands and public health responsibilities of their work.
Accountability must extend throughout the system
Process Controllers have a professional responsibility to follow procedures, monitor treatment performance, maintain accurate records and report potential risks. Plant managers and supervisors must address operational concerns, while municipal leadership must provide the resources and oversight needed to keep treatment works functioning effectively.
However, accountability must be measured against the authority and resources available to individuals.
“Plant Managers and Supervisors carry significant responsibility for treatment outcomes, but accountability must be measured against the authority, resources and capacity afforded to them. They cannot reasonably be held responsible for decisions beyond their control. Risks must be identified, documented and escalated, and accountability must extend throughout the management chain, not stop at the treatment plant,” explains Dewald van Staden, Professional Process Controller and Lead of the WISA Process Controller Division.
When water quality incidents occur, investigations must therefore consider the full operational environment. Were chemicals available? Was equipment properly maintained? Were warnings acted upon? Did management decisions contribute to the problem?
Holding individuals accountable is important, but so is ensuring that the institutions responsible for managing water services meet their obligations.
Strengthening the profession strengthens water security
Regulation 3630 provides a framework for improving professional standards, but its success depends on how effectively its requirements are implemented. This means accessible training, professional registration, continuous development and meaningful career opportunities.
Municipalities and water services institutions must also recognise the value of Process Controllers and involve them in decisions affecting the operation and maintenance of treatment works.
WISA has an important role to play in supporting professional development and promoting the standards and competencies needed to protect public health.
Ultimately, people should not have to question whether the water coming out of their taps is safe. Delivering on that expectation requires qualified professionals, institutions that support them and a sector that takes its responsibilities seriously.
Regulation 3630 is a step in the right direction. The challenge now is to turn professional standards into better operational practices and, ultimately, safer water for communities.
