AQUADOC® Analytics CC was founded in 1997 by Dr Ronnie van Steenderen (DSc, Water Environmental Sciences) and Mr Gerrit Idema (Microbiology). Both were previously employed by the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), the largest research centre on the African continent and a global leader in scientific innovation.

While at the CSIR, they worked in dedicated teams developing internationally accepted analytical methods and, in collaboration with international partners, contributed to the development of drinking water quality guidelines.

During this period, we were actively involved in the following:

• Groundwater studies and surveys in Namibia
• Evapotranspiration studies in Namibia
• Limnological studies on dams in the RSA
• Chemical and physical surveys of rivers and catchment areas in the RSA
• Analytical chemistry (wet chemistry and instrumental analysis)
• Studies on the use of activated carbon in water treatment
• Chemical method development and disinfection techniques for water and wastewater
• Studies on, and the construction and implementation of, solar distillation units in Namibia
• Evaluation of diatomaceous earth filtration units and sand filtration, including surveys on the efficiency of water and wastewater plants in removing organic material
• Analytical chemistry method development
• Management of a mobile analytical laboratory
• Evaluation and construction of small-scale (e.g. domestic) water purification systems
• Investigation of water-related epidemics

Water quality analyses, including:

• Bacterial, viral, and protozoan parasite water quality
• Method evaluation and development for bacteria, viruses, and protozoan parasites
• Drafting and presentation of courses in water microbiology, and health and hygiene aspects of wastewater reuse for irrigation
• Evaluation of cooling towers and air-conditioning systems
• Small-scale solar disinfection of water for rural communities
• Microbiological surveys of fresh and marine water
• Biological waste disposal
• Drafting and presentation of water chemistry lectures at the University of Pretoria
• Active involvement in the microbiological and chemical monitoring of the Windhoek drinking water reclamation plant
• Industrial process control monitoring
• Design and evaluation of small- and medium-scale water treatment devices

In the past, AQUADOC® Analytics CC focused on the design and commercialisation of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) analysers for use in water, wastewater, and industrial applications. The company had twenty-two analysers operating in various industries and municipalities since 1988, five of which were online quality-control process analysers.

We were also involved in water treatment and purification. The AQUADOC® UV water purification system was founded by us and later improved by our sister company, QuaWater (Pty) Ltd.