Crackdown on illegal water use

NATIONAL and provincial water authorities kicked off a compliance and enforcement blitz in the Gouritz Region following allegations of illegal water use in recent months.

This included the alleged diversion of rivers, illegal abstraction and other unlawful activities.

During a briefing yesterday, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said authorities would conduct the blitz throughout the week within the Gouritz Catchment.

DWS Acting Provincial Head Boniswa Hene said the compliance and enforcement blitz was aimed at curbing illegal water use activities that had been reported since the prolonged drought in the Klein Karoo region.

“The Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA) received several allegations of illegal water use within the Gouritz region, and these include diversion of rivers, illegal abstraction, and other unlawful activities.

“Over the next five days BGCMA, DWS’s Blue Scorpions inspectorate, and Development Planning’s Green Scorpions will visit properties including farms in George, Oudtshoorn, De Rust, and other areas to assess compliance with the National Water Act 36 of 1998 and National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998.

“In cases of non-compliance, owners will be issued with administrative notices to ensure compliance with the legislation,” said Hene. She added that the department and BGCMA had adopted a zero-tolerance approach to illegal activities, and had in the past imposed big fines on offenders.

“While the government does not wish to profit from fines, there will be no choice but to impose fines as a last resort if water users do not comply with the National Water Act 36 of 1998.

“As a further measure to protect the ecosystem, no one other than the minister of water and sanitation or a delegated authority may authorise water use – water users must refrain from drilling boreholes in an unlawful manner,” she said.