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Environmental water requirements
Water is one of the most important considerations in
many developments, most of which will require a
source of freshwater, and many will have to dispose
of waste water. If water is to be taken direct from
a water resource such as a river, stream or
groundwater, or if waste water is to be discharged
directly into the resource, these uses of water are
regulated by the National Water Act (NWA), 1998.
The Act is administered by the Department of Water
Affairs and Forestry. If water is taken from a
municipal supply system, or waste is discharged
water into a sewerage system, then these activities
fall under the Water Services Act, 1997
Two central requirements of the NWA are that all
water use must be authorised in some way, and that
water users must ensure that their activities do not
negatively impact on the water resource itself, or
on other users of the resource. There are provisions
in the Act – Schedule 1 use and General
Authorisations – that allow relatively small water
uses without the user having to apply to the
Department (although the use may have to be
registered), but large users will have to apply for
a licence from the Department. In order to protect
the ecological functioning of water resources some
water must be left in rivers and streams, and this
is known as the Ecological Reserve, sometimes called
environmental water requirements. The ecological
Reserve is a high priority in the Act, second only
to water for basic human needs, and it must always
be determined before any water use can be licensed.
In some cases the Department will determine the
Reserve, but in others the developer will be
required to do so, and specialist assistance will be
needed.
CES staff are familiar with the Act’s provisions in
this respect, and can provide expert advice to
developers on the need to register a water use, if a
licence to use water is required and how to go about
it, and any additional studies that the developer
may be required to undertake to secure the licence.
If a Reserve determination is necessary, CES can
source the expertise to carry out the work on the
client’s behalf.
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