Compliance with water regulation can be daunting. The following resources have been provided for guidance to the basic regulatory requirements for lawful water use. For further assistance, please contact water@greencape.co.za

• Water use registration (including General Authorisations, Existing Lawful Use, and Licenced Water Use Applications):
  • Water use guideline document
  • Raw water use guideline document
  • Waste discharge related water use guideline document
  • Water Use License Application (WULA) website and application forms (reduced timeframe of 60 days for agriculture)
  • Government Notice 267 of 24 March 2017: Regulations regarding the procedural requirements for water use license applications and appeals.
  • Regulations requiring that the taking of water for irrigation purposes be measured, recorded and reported (Notice 131 of Government Gazette 40621 of 17 February 2017)

• Water services intermediaries (WSIs)
  • A water services intermediary is any person or organisation who is obliged to provide water services to another in terms of a contract where the obligation to provide water services is incidental to the main object of the contract. If the main purpose of the contract is to provide water services, the person is classified as a water services provider (WSP), not an intermediary. For example, farmers that are responsible for providing housing and related services to their employees living on the premises are considered intermediaries when they are contractually obliged to provide basic water services to their employees.
  • Are you a WSI? Refer to this model water services contract between a water services authority (e.g. a municipality or waterboard) and a WSI to understand the roles and responsibilities of a WSI

• Raw Water Tariffs 2020/21

Western Cape provincial government resources:

• Redtape Reduction team (ask for help with WULAs)
• Water restrictions, tariffs and by-laws per municipality
• A Guide to the e-WULAAS (electronic water use license authorisation application system), includes a summary of General Authorisations for lawful water uses

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) publishes the following relevant South African National Standards (SANS):

• Drinking water (SANS 241: 2015)
• Greywater reuse systems (SANS 1732: 2019)
• Development, maintenance and management of groundwater resources (SANS 10299: 2003)

For an overview of water legislation and compliance in South Africa, please refer to Chapter 3 of the GreenCape Water Market Intelligence Report.