What Is SANS 241?
SANS 241 (South African National Standard 241) is the benchmark for safe drinking water in South Africa, published by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). It defines maximum acceptable concentrations for physical, chemical, aesthetic and microbiological parameters in water intended for human consumption.
The current version (SANS 241:2015) uses two risk classes: Class I (low risk, acceptable long-term) and Class II (higher risk, requiring immediate corrective action).
Key SANS 241 Parameters
Microbiological (zero tolerance):
- E. coli: must be absent in 100ml — any detection is a Class II failure
- Total coliforms: must be absent in 100ml
- Heterotrophic plate count: max 1 000 CFU/ml
Physical and Aesthetic:
- Turbidity: max 1 NTU (Class I), 5 NTU (Class II)
- Colour: max 15 mg/l Pt-Co
- pH: 5.0 to 9.7
- TDS: max 1 200 mg/l
Chemical (Health-Related):
- Nitrates: max 11 mg/l NO3-N (infant formula risk above this)
- Fluoride: max 1.5 mg/l
- Arsenic: max 0.01 mg/l
- Lead: max 0.01 mg/l
- Chromium: max 0.05 mg/l
Who Needs SANS 241 Compliance Testing?
- Municipalities and water utilities (legally required)
- Private water schemes: estates, farms and complexes with their own supply
- Food manufacturers using water in production or cleaning
- Hospitality: hotels, lodges and restaurants using borehole water
- Healthcare facilities with strict water quality requirements
How Often to Test
- Private boreholes for drinking: at least annually, or after any change in taste, colour or odour
- Food manufacturing and hospitality: quarterly microbiological testing minimum
- After flooding or nearby construction: immediate re-testing recommended
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