The Department of Water and Sanitation is calling on all water users to register or update their water user information in its Water Use Registration Programme, to enable the Department to have up to date data on water users and the usage, in order to balance against what is available for use in the water resources.
The process will also assist the Department to prevent water overuse which may in some areas result in endangering aquatic ecosystems.
The Department’s Water Use Registration Programme entails acquiring and recording information relating to the use of water-by-water users. The programme is aimed at optimally managing water resources by asking four questions: how much water/waste is used/discharged, by whom, for what purpose and where.
The registration of water use is applicable to water use licenses and general authorisations for those who are discharging waste or water containing waste in terms of section 21 of the National Water Act; while the updating of water user contact details is applicable to water users under the following sectors (including but not limited to):
- Irrigation
- Industrial use including mining
- Domestic supply
- Power generation
- Watering livestock
- Stream flow reduction activities
However, water received from a local authority, a water board, an irrigation board, or another bulk water supplier are exempted from the registration.
Director of National Register of Water Use in the Department, Mr. Khutso Mabela, said the registering of water users was made to ensure that water was used efficiently, effectively, and wisely.
“In order to do this, we need to know how much water is used, by whom, and where. Once we know this, we will be able to measure it against how much water is available for use.
“In some areas we will then find that there is still extra water that can be made available for use. In other areas we will find that there is already more water being used than the water resources can provide without considerable damage to the aquatic ecosystems,” Mr Mabela explained.
“South Africa's scarce water resources are under increasing pressure. The National Water Act of 1998 gives the Department of Water and Sanitation the tools to gather the information that we need for the optimal management of our water resources. The registration of water use is one of these tools.
“There is no registration fee, however, late registration will be charged for water users among others who bought the properties but never registered their water use,” Mr Mabela concluded.
For further information and to register or update your water use information visit your Provincial Department of Water and Sanitation or Catchment Management Agency offices or go to: https://www.dws.gov.za/Projects/WARMS/ or https://www.dws.gov.za/Projects/WARMS/contacts.aspx
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: MavasaW@dws.gov.za
