WATER USE LIMITATIONS: OHRIGSTAD, MKHOMBO/ RENOSTERKOP AND BUFFELSKLOOF CATCHMENTS
Title: Limiting the use of water for irrigation and urban purposes from the Ohrigstad and Mkhombo/Rhenosterkop and Buffelskloof subsystems/dams and catchments in Mpumalanga Province
Government Notice: GN 465 in GG 39943 of 22 April 2016
Date of commencement: 22 April 2016
The Minister of Water and Sanitation may in terms of item 6 (1) of Schedule 3 to the National Water Act 36 of 1998 (NWA) limit the use of water in the area concerned if the Minister on reasonable grounds believes that a water shortage exists within the area concerned. The Minister on reasonable grounds believe that a water shortage exists in the Elands River upstream of the Mkhombo Dam catchment as well as within the Ohrigstad River catchment and the Buffelskloof Dam catchment due to insufficient rains and that it is necessary to limit the taking of water from Mkhombo/Rhenosterkop Dams, Ohrigstad Dam and the Buffelskloof Dam catchments and limits water use as follow:
1. Mkhombo/Rhenosterkop Dam and Elands River Catchment upstream and downstream of the Mkhombo/Renosterkop Dam up to the confluence with Olifants River – (a) 20% restriction on the water usage of 23.68 million m3/a for domestic use (b) 40% restriction on irrigation abstraction
2. Ohrigstad Dam – (a) 90 %restriction on the usage of 81 million m3 /a for irrigation use
3. Buffelskloof Dam – (a) 35 % restriction on registered use of 11.04 million m3 /a for irrigation.
“So what” for my operation?
Should your operation be located within these catchments, it is important for your operation to have knowledge of these restrictions as relevant to the quantities of water allowed to be taken from the specified water systems for domestic and irrigation purposes. If you contravene this notice, the authority may modify, or require you to modify the contravening waterwork so that it cannot be used to take more water than that allowed for in the notice; or remove the waterwork or require you to remove the waterwork if the notice contains a prohibition on the use of that waterwork. Any reasonable costs incurred by this modification or removal may be recovered from your operation.
What is Shangoni’s approach?
Shangoni can assist individuals and industries located in the affected areas in developing a detailed water balance, or updating an existing water balance, to assess areas of excessive water usage / loss at the operation. This will identify areas where water saving initiatives can be implemented, to reduce the quantity of raw water required and therefore ensure compliance to the above mentioned water restrictions.
