Notes for Briefing to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry

Notes for Briefing to

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry

on

Progress in Implementing the National Water Act

February 2004

Barbara Schreiner, Senior Executive Manager: Policy and Regulation

1 Institutional issues

1.1 Establishment of catchment management agencies

Water Management Area	Status
1 Limpopo	No process formalised. No stakeholder participation structures in place.
2 Luvuvhu-Letaba	No process formalised. Consultation started 2001 but stopped due lack of funds.
3 Crocodile West & Marico	Proposal accepted Feb 2003.
4 Olifants	Participation structures in place. Draft Proposal in preparation.
5 Inkomati	Proposal Gazetted (Aug 2002 and Jan 2003), comments evaluated, submitted to Minister. Governing Board Advisory Committee appointed Apr 2003 but no progress
6 Usutu to Mhlathuze	Consultation started 2002. Financial viability being studied.
7 Thukela	Initial review of July 2003 Proposal indicates significant revisions required.
8 Upper Vaal	Consultation started 2001. Participation structures in place.
9 Middle Vaal	Consultation started 2001. Participation structures in place.
10 Lower Vaal	Implementation plan to establish CMA in place. Uses existing participation structures.
11 Mvoti to Umzimkulu	Revised Proposal submitted July 2003.
12 Umzimvubu to Keiskamma	Consultation ongoing using existing structures.
13 Upper Orange	No implementation plan.
14 Lower Orange	Implementation plan to establish CMA in place. Uses existing participation structures.
15 Fish to Tsitsikamma	Consultation ongoing using existing structures.
16 Gouritz	Consultation ongoing using existing structures. Draft Proposal in preparation - submission imminent.
17 Olifants/Doorn	Consultation ongoing using existing structures. Draft Proposal in preparation - submission imminent.
18 Breede	Proposal submitted June 2002, revisions in progress.
19 Berg	Consultation ongoing

Summary

Proposals for eight CMAs are in various stages of advancement.
Consultation ongoing, or consultation structures in place, for eight CMAs.
5 CMAs expected to be established during 2004/5
No progress in three CMAs.

1.2 Water user associations

51 irrigation boards have been transformed into 26 WUAs - some amalgamation.
3 stock watering water boards transformed into WUAs.
8 new WUAs established - 2 for emerging/resource-poor farmers.
1 irrigation board disestablished.
About 230 irrigation boards remain to be transformed.
114 new WUAs are to be established in terms of the revitalisation of irrigation schemes in Limpopo Province.: 3 year period; 12 310 farmers, 18 630 ha.

1.3 Transfer of O&M responsibilities

Policy established July 2000.
WUAs established and O&M responsibilities transferred in terms of the policy: 5 schemes.
WUA establishment in progress, transfer in terms of policy will take place when established: 15 schemes.
Former "homeland" schemes where WUAs could be established and transfer effected: 5 schemes.
Transfer of O&M effected to irrigation boards prior to establishment of policy, where IBs are currently undergoing transformation to WUAs: 12 schemes.

2 Water use

2.1 Registration

By end-June 2001 about 50 000 users had been registered representing more than 80% by volume of water in abstraction, storage and stream flow reduction activities.

Registration continues for these uses, and some discharge uses have also been captured on WARMS.

2.2 Compulsory licensing

Development of methodologies and approaches, eg:-

formal licensing procedures
validation and verification of existing lawful use
integration of RDM processes
addressing unlawful use

Expected to be finalised August 2004 - funded by UK DfID.

Validation and verification of existing lawful use in progress in Upper Vaal, Mhlathuze, Tosca and Inkomati catchments, and unlawful use being addressed.

This is a complex, long-term process - probably 20 years or so.

2.3 Individual licences issued

Licences recorded on WARMS

21(a) Abstracting 134

21(b) Storing 5

21(c) Impeding/diverting 4

21(d) Stream flow reduction 33

21(f) Discharging 2

21(g) Disposing of waste 1

21(i) Altering bed and banks 3

21(j) G/water disposal 2

Discharges from sewage treatment works

New licences issued 1

Old permits converted to licences 16 plus 2 pending

More signed by Regional Directors.

About 55 STWs still operate under permits that will expire within two years.

Solid waste disposal sites

Total number of sites 743

Authorisations issued 519 (70%)

443 of the authorisations are permits under S20 of the ECA, the remainder are licences ii terms of the NWA. S20 of the ECA is to be transferred to DEAT as per the amendment of the ECA in 2003.

2.4 Water demand management

Development of demand management strategies (includes education, awareness creation and communications) for demand management in respect of :-

Berg River Project
Olifants River (north) WR Development Project
Western Highveld drought relief scheme

3 Water pricing

3.1 Collection of revenue

	2002/2003		2003/2004
Trading Account No.	Year Target (R million)	Year Actual (R million)	Year Target (R million)	Dec 03 Target (R million)	Dec 03 Actual (R million)
1	42.850	45.951	75	44	60
2	Not known	1 878.005	568	426	419
TCTA	Not known	1 878.005	1 442	1 082	1 038
3	Not known	158.836	139	104	61
Total WRM	Not known	2 052.725	2 224	1 656	1 578
4	Not known	14.350	15	11	5
Total	2 065	2 067.075	2 239 000	1 667	1 583

Trading Accounts:

1 Integrated Catchment Management (WRM charge)

2 Integrated Systems (includes TCTA)

3 Bulk Supply

4 Water Services

Excludes WRC levy

3.2 Development of waste discharge charge system

Four phases to the development process :-

Framework document: completed in 2000
Draft WDCS strategy: completed July 2003 - Towards a Strategy for a WDCS. invloved consultation with a wide range of stakeholders
Final implementable WDCS strategy: commenced February 2004, WDCS expeced to be Gazetted end-2006.
Implementation will commence when established

3.3 Subsidies to farmers

During the last two financial years, subsidies paid as follows:-

Nkomazi (Komatipoort area) in Mpumalanga, paid R16,4 m to the Komati WUA for combined financing with provincial Department of Agriculture, of an irrigation scheme, giving 306 emerging farmers access to 1 829 ha of irrigated sugar cane.

Koekedouw WUA (Ceres area) in the Western Cape, paid R11,2 m, giving 326 farmers access to 98 ha irrigated deciduous fruit farming.
Request for proposal for Blyde 800ha to be finalised.

National Water Resources Strategy

Due for release in mid 2004 after considerable response received from stakeholders.

International matters

Orange-Senqu River Basin Commission established 2000

Interim water sharing agreements in respect of the Inkomati and Maputo basins signed in 2002

Agreement to establish the Limpopo Watercourse Commission signed in November 2003

Drought

DWAF received R270 million for drought relief including R20 million for stock watering relief;
R50 million of this is targeted for bulk water provision in the Western Highveld Region
First tranche gazetted to local government in January 2004.
Second tranche due to be gazetted in February 2004.
Further funding available for 2004/5