The National Water Act, 1998 regulates all water uses and their impacts. In accordance with Section 21 of the aforementioned Act, eleven consumptive and non-consumptive waters use cannot be implemented without a water use licence or a General Authorization. All water uses are required to be registered with the Competent Authority which is the Department of Water & Sanitation.

 

Water uses requiring authorization typically include among others:

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• Abstraction of water;

• Storing of water;

• Irrigation of treated water;

• Any activities within a watercourse or wetland and their Zone of Regulation;

• Any discharge of waste or water containing waste within an aquatic system;

• Settling ponds, pollution control dams, tailings storage facilities, waste rock dumps;

• Dewatering of mines for the continuation of mining or the safety of people.