Call: Mike Hastie 0844004300/ Email: mike@sanswater.co.za
Water Testing & Efficiency Evaluations
SANS 241: South Africa’s Drinking Water Quality Standard
The South African National Standard (SANS 241) outlines the minimum requirements for drinking water to be considered safe for human consumption.
Our comprehensive water quality service includes laboratory analysis aligned with the 2015 edition of the SANS 241 Drinking Water Standard. This standard defines acceptable drinking water quality based on microbiological, chemical, physical, and aesthetic parameters measured at the point of use.
Chemical Water Test
R1750
Great to determine what metals and minerals are in your water. Great test for municipal tap water and ground water alike.
Chemical Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 631411
Includes:
- Electrical Conductivity – Salinity Indicator
- pH – Acidity/Alkalinity Level
- Sodium – Salt Mineral
- Calcium – Hardness Mineral
- Magnesium – Hardness Mineral
- Potassium – Nutrient Mineral
- Iron (Total) – Metal
- Chloride – Salt Ion
- Sulphate – Mineral Salt
- Carbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Bicarbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Alkalinity – Buffering Capacity
- Boron – Trace Element
- Ammonium – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrate – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrite – Nitrogen Compound
- Copper (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Zinc (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Manganese (Total) – Metal
- Phosphorus – Nutrient
- Total Dissolved Solids – Mineral Content Measure
- Fluoride – Trace Mineral
- Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) – Irrigation Suitability Index
- Langelier Saturation Index – Scaling/Corrosion Index
- Turbidity – Water Clarity Measure
- Hardness – Mineral Content Measure
Microbiological Water Test
R1750
Great to determine whether there is any waterborne bacteria in your water. Great test for municipal tap water and ground water alike.
Microbiological Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 631611
Includes:
- Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) – A general indicator of the overall number of bacteria (aerobic and facultative) present in water, used as a broad measure of water quality and disinfection effectiveness. It doesn’t identify specific pathogens, but a high count can signal poor water treatment, stagnation, or biofilm growth.
- Total Coliforms – A group of bacteria naturally found in soil, vegetation, and the environment, as well as in the intestines of humans and animals. Their presence doesn’t necessarily mean the water is dangerous, but it indicates the water may be vulnerable to contamination and signals a possible breach in the treatment or distribution system.
- E. coli – A specific type of coliform bacteria found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. Its presence is a direct indicator of fecal contamination and poses a real health risk (gastrointestinal illness), making it one of the most important pass/fail markers in drinking water testing.
Basic Potability Test with Microbiological
R2685
Great to determine filtration type and filtration effectiveness. 24 Parameters tested.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 6316
Includes:
- Electrical Conductivity – Salinity Indicator
- pH – Acidity/Alkalinity Level
- Sodium – Salt Mineral
- Calcium – Hardness Mineral
- Magnesium – Hardness Mineral
- Potassium – Nutrient Mineral
- Iron (Total) – Metal
- Chloride – Salt Ion
- Sulphate – Mineral Salt
- Carbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Bicarbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Alkalinity – Buffering Capacity
- Boron – Trace Element
- Ammonium – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrate – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrite – Nitrogen Compound
- Copper (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Zinc (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Manganese (Total) – Metal
- Phosphorus – Nutrient
- Total Dissolved Solids – Mineral Content Measure
- Fluoride – Trace Mineral
- Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) – Irrigation Suitability Index
- Langelier Saturation Index – Scaling/Corrosion Index
- Turbidity – Water Clarity Measure
- Hardness – Mineral Content Measure
- Heterotrophic Plate Count – Bacterial Activity Indicator
- Total Coliforms – Bacteria Indicator
- E.Coli – Pathogenic Bacteria Indicator
Full SANS 241 with Microbiological
R4250
Covers 95% of the safe drinking water determinants set out by SABS/ SANAS. Great to determine your waters’ safety for consumption. 35 Parameters tested.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 6300
Includes:
- Electrical Conductivity – Salinity Indicator
- pH – Acidity/Alkalinity Level
- Sodium – Salt Mineral
- Calcium – Hardness Mineral
- Magnesium – Hardness Mineral
- Potassium – Nutrient Mineral
- Iron (Total) – Metal
- Chloride – Salt Ion
- Sulphate – Mineral Salt
- Carbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Bicarbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Alkalinity – Buffering Capacity
- Boron – Trace Element
- Ammonium – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrate – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrite – Nitrogen Compound
- Copper (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Zinc (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Manganese (Total) – Metal
- Phosphorus – Nutrient
- Total Dissolved Solids – Mineral Content Measure
- Fluoride – Trace Mineral
- Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) – Irrigation Suitability Index
- Langelier Saturation Index – Scaling/Corrosion Index
- Turbidity – Water Clarity Measure
- Hardness – Mineral Content Measure
- Heterotrophic Plate Count – Bacterial Activity Indicator
- Total Coliforms – Bacteria Indicator
- E.Coli – Pathogenic Bacteria Indicator
- Aluminium as Al (Total) – Metal
- Antimony as Sb (Total) – Toxic Trace Element
- Arsenic as As (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Cadmium as Cd (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Chromium as Cr (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Cyanide as CN – Toxic Compound
- Lead as Pb (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Mercury as Hg (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Nickel as Ni (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Selenium as Se (Total) – Toxic Trace Element
- Uranium as U (Total) – Radioactive Heavy Metal
Full SANS 241 Drinking water, Legionalla & Efficiency Evaluation
R7950
A complete, all encompassing water quality audit including your SANS 241 standard including Legionella. We also carry out a full water audit to ensure you are not overpaying on your water bill. We will also carry out a leak test and water pressure test as well as real time usage.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 1575
Includes:
- Electrical Conductivity – Salinity Indicator
- pH – Acidity/Alkalinity Level
- Sodium – Salt Mineral
- Calcium – Hardness Mineral
- Magnesium – Hardness Mineral
- Potassium – Nutrient Mineral
- Iron (Total) – Metal
- Chloride – Salt Ion
- Sulphate – Mineral Salt
- Carbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Bicarbonate – Alkalinity Compound
- Alkalinity – Buffering Capacity
- Boron – Trace Element
- Ammonium – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrate – Nitrogen Compound
- Nitrite – Nitrogen Compound
- Copper (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Zinc (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Manganese (Total) – Metal
- Phosphorus – Nutrient
- Total Dissolved Solids – Mineral Content Measure
- Fluoride – Trace Mineral
- Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) – Irrigation Suitability Index
- Langelier Saturation Index – Scaling/Corrosion Index
- Turbidity – Water Clarity Measure
- Hardness – Mineral Content Measure
- Heterotrophic Plate Count – Bacterial Activity Indicator
- Total Coliforms – Bacteria Indicator
- E.Coli – Pathogenic Bacteria Indicator
- Aluminium as Al (Total) – Metal
- Antimony as Sb (Total) – Toxic Trace Element
- Arsenic as As (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Cadmium as Cd (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Chromium as Cr (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Cyanide as CN – Toxic Compound
- Lead as Pb (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Mercury as Hg (Total) – Toxic Heavy Metal
- Nickel as Ni (Total) – Heavy Metal
- Selenium as Se (Total) – Toxic Trace Element
- Uranium as U (Total) – Radioactive Heavy Metal
Legionella – Waterborne Pathogenic Bacteria
A bacteria that occurs naturally in freshwater environments but becomes a health hazard when it grows and multiplies in man-made water systems — cooling towers, hot water tanks, showerheads, spa pools, and complex plumbing systems with stagnant or warm water (typically 20–45°C is the danger zone).
Health risk:
Inhaling contaminated water droplets (mist/aerosols) can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia, or the milder Pontiac fever. It’s not spread person-to-person — infection happens through breathing in contaminated aerosols, not drinking the water.
Why it matters for water testing:
Common testing/compliance context includes:
- Cooling towers and HVAC systems
- Hotel, hospital, and building hot water systems
- Spa and recreational water facilities
Risk factors for growth:
Stagnant water, biofilm buildup, sediment/scale, warm temperatures, and lack of disinfectant residual.
Want this formatted for a client-facing compliance report, or a more technical/lab-oriented version (e.g., CFU/L thresholds, testing methods like culture vs PCR)?
Full SANS 241 Effluent Waste Water Test
R4122
At SANS Water, our comprehensive wastewater and sewage effluent testing suite is designed to ensure your discharge meets all environmental and regulatory standards with accuracy and reliability.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 6209
Includes:
- Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) = mg/L BOD5 (5-10 day TAT) | Organic Matter Parameter
- pH = Potential Hydrogen (acidity/alkalinity measure) | Physical Parameter
- Cond = Electrical Conductivity (dissolved solids measure) | Physical Parameter
- COD = Chemical Oxygen Demand | Organic Matter Parameter
- TSS = Total Suspended Solids | Physical Parameter
- NH3 = Ammonia (NH₃/NH₄⁺) | Nutrient
- NO3 & NO2 = Nitrate + Nitrite | Nutrient
- PO4 = Phosphate ion (PO₄³⁻) | Nutrient
- Fe = Iron | Heavy Metal
- Na = Sodium | Major Ion
- Mn = Manganese | Heavy Metal
- Cl = Chloride ion (Cl⁻) | Major Ion
- E. coli = Escherichia coli (bacteria) | Microbiological
- Faecal Coliform = Fecal coliform bacteria | Microbiological
Sample Volume Required: As per standard sewage testing protocols
Turnaround Time (TAT): 5-10 days (for BOD5)
Legionella
R2450
Great to determine filtration type and filtration effectiveness.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 6209
Includes: Legionella
Full SANS 241 Drinking water with Legionalla
R6250
A complete, all encompassing water quality audit including your SANS 241 standard including Legionella.
Drinking Water SANS 241
CODE: 0007
Includes:
- pH = Potential Hydrogen (acidity/alkalinity measure) | Physical Parameter
- Conductivity = Electrical Conductivity (dissolved solids measure) | Physical Parameter
- Alkalinity = Acid-neutralizing capacity | Chemical Parameter
- TDS = Total Dissolved Solids | Physical Parameter
- Chloride = Chloride ion (Cl⁻) | Major Ion
- Sulphate = Sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻) | Major Ion
- Fluoride = Fluoride ion (F⁻) | Chemical Parameter
- Ammonia = Ammonia (NH₃/NH₄⁺) | Nutrient
- NO3+NO2 = Nitrate + Nitrite | Nutrient
- Turbidity = Cloudiness/suspended particles | Physical Parameter
- Colour = Color (visual appearance) | Physical Parameter
- Al = Aluminum | Heavy Metal
- B = Boron | Trace Element
- Ba = Barium | Heavy Metal
- U = Uranium | Radioactive Heavy Metal
- Ca = Calcium | Major Ion
- Mg = Magnesium | Major Ion
- K = Potassium | Major Ion
- Na = Sodium | Major Ion
- Zn = Zinc | Heavy Metal
- Sb = Antimony | Heavy Metal
- As = Arsenic | Heavy Metal
- Cd = Cadmium | Heavy Metal
- Cr = Chromium | Heavy Metal
- Co = Cobalt | Heavy Metal
- Cu = Copper | Heavy Metal
- Fe = Iron | Heavy Metal
- Pb = Lead | Heavy Metal
- Mn = Manganese | Heavy Metal
- Hg = Mercury | Heavy Metal
- Ni = Nickel | Heavy Metal
- Se = Selenium | Heavy Metal
- V = Vanadium | Heavy Metal
- E. coli = Escherichia coli (bacteria) | Microbiological
- Tot Coliforms = Total Coliform bacteria | Microbiological
- Heterotrophic Plate Count = HPC (general bacteria indicator) | Microbiological
- Legionella = Legionella pneumophila (pathogenic bacteria) | Microbiological
- LSI = Langelier Saturation Index (water stability measure) | Stability Index
- SAR = Sodium Adsorption Ratio (soil hazard measure) | Stability Index
Book Your Water Test
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+27 (0) 21 788 5163 | mike@sanswater.co.za
50 Promenade Road, Lakeside, Cape Town, South Africa