South Africa is a semi-arid country, receiving less rainfall than the world average. Although groundwater currently only contributes 13% to the total national water supply, 65% of the population of South Africa is dependent on groundwater for their daily requirements. It is also a known fact that water supply from surface water sources alone is not adequate to address future water demands.
The quality and availability of groundwater re directly affected by human activities on land. In 2005, 5 people died and 3,000 were hospitalised due to an outbreak of typhoid that was caused by poor management of domestic wastewater. Mining activities removes groundwater from the underground, and when these mines close, and the water table returns to its pre-mining state, the Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) that has formed as a result of the mining activities has the potential to decant, causing pollution of drinking water resources. Judicious Groundwater Governance is thus critical, and refers to the regulation of activities that can potentially impact on groundwater availability and quality, as well as the measures that can be implemented to prevent or reduce impacts on groundwater, which includes appropriate land-use planning, site selection, protection of aquifers, remediation of contaminated land, groundwater monitoring, etc.
This Course has been developed based on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Training Manual on Groundwater Management in IWRM, and focusses on Groundwater Governance Concepts and Principles, mechanisms for pollution prevention and remediation, and regulatory groundwater monitoring.
Course Objective and Structure
The aim of this 3-day course is to provide attendees with a practical understanding of the concepts and principles underpinning Groundwater Governance in the context of South African Framework environmental legislation, and focusses on pollution prevention, waste disposal, the remediation of contaminated land, and monitoring for regulatory purposes.
Specific Course Outcomes and Key Benefits
Upon completion of the Course, the attendant will be able to –
o   demonstrate an understanding of:
- Â the importance of groundwater in society,
- potential impacts on the groundwater resource, and
- the need for groundwater governance.
o   grasp the Concepts and Principles underpinning Sustainable Groundwater Governance;
o   demonstrate awareness of some Governance mechanisms for groundwater-related issues in South Africa, including:
- Duties and liabilities associated with potential pollution impacts on groundwater resources
- Governance of waste-related activities under the NEM:WA
- Dealing with contaminated areas and mine closure: legal requirements of the Minerals Act, NEMA, and the NEM:WA;
o   appreciate the regulatory aspects of groundwater monitoring and be able to correctly interpret groundwater quality monitoring data and results from a regulatory perspective.
Practical discussions and exercises aimed at grasping the concepts and topics will be conducted in a group situation.
Who should attend this course?
This course is designed for environmental management and planning officers, consultants, directors and managers at industries, government (national, provincial and municipal) and mining companies and other professionals in management and planning in the public and private sectors, who wish to improve their understanding of groundwater management and who want to discuss some practical issues to find solutions for the day-to-day challenges they experience with regarding groundwater.
Entrance requirements
A Grade 12 certificate as a minimum and preferably also:
- some tertiary education in at least one of the fields of environmental management; OR
- some prior learning in general environmental management and environmental issues; OR
- some relevant activities and responsibilities in at least one of the fields of environmental management.
Course Certificate
A Certificate of Attendance is issued to those delegates who completed the Training Course in accordance with applicable evaluation requirements.
Course Dates
Please see scheduled Course Dates here. Contact us if you would like to arrange for different dates, or for presenting the course in-house.
A minimum number of twelve attendees are required for the course to proceed, and a maximum number of 25 delegates can be accommodated. Should more than the maximum number of delegates register for the course, additional Course Dates will be scheduled.
Registration and Course Cost
Please refer to our page containing the relevant Registration Details regarding Course Costs and possible applicable discounts, where the Course Registration Form can be completed.
Please note that seating is limited, and registrations will be handled on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The implementation of sustainable water resources management initiatives and measures in South Africa through environmental framework legislation such as the NEMA, and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), as well as the NWA, WSA, and relevant regulations under these statutes, including the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS), are discussed.
The course facilitates understanding of a number of relevant provisions in the NWA that relate to water use authorisation and the circumstances under which a WUL is required, as well as of the process to apply for (and amend) a WUL. Practical aspects associated with the substantive and procedural issues around WULAs, as currently described in regulations, procedures and guidelines of the DHSWS, including the preparation of specific documents such as Integrated Water and Waste Management Plans (IWWMPs), and regulatory requirements for water quantity and quality monitoring, the auditing of compliance with WUL-conditions, the amendment of an incorrect WUL, as well as aspects relating to the transfer of water use as well as servitudes associated with authorised water use are also covered.
The course content has been updated in 2017 to address the aspects contained in the new Regulations regarding the Procedural Requirements for Water Use License Applications (WULAs) and Appeals (GN R267), which were published on 24 March 2017.
The National Water Act 36 of 1998 (NWA) places the water resources of South Africa under control of the Minister of Water and Sanitation, who is the public trustee of our water resources, and who is tasked to protect, manage and control the use of our water resources. The use of water is defined under the NWA to include both consumptive use such as abstraction, and non-consumptive use such as altering the beds of watercourses, using water resources to discharge waste, recreation, etc. As such, the Minister of the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (DHSWS) has the power to decide who can use water under which circumstances. Water can only be used under governance of one of four (4) types of Water Use Authorisations, namely a water use declared under Schedule 1 of the NWA, a General Authorisation, a continuation of an Existing Lawful Use (ELU), or in terms of a Water Use License (WUL).
Failure to obtain a WUL where one is required, and failure to comply with the conditions of a WUL, once issued, can give rise to severe penalties and risks for a company or local authority. There are however many constrains, difficulties and pitfalls in the water use license application (WULA) process that can hamper applicants from being successful with their applications, or that can delay the WULA process for years, or that can result in the issuing of a WUL that is not aligned with the site-specific situation, which creates difficulties with compliance, and has associated liabilities.