Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997)
Notice No. 1662 of 1997
Act
Preamble
Chapter I : Introductory Provisions
1. Definitions
2. Main objects of Act
3. Right of access to basic water supply and basic sanitation
4. Conditions for provision of water services
5. Provision of basic water supply and basic sanitation to have preference
6. Access to water services through nominated water services provider
7. Industrial use of water
8. Approvals and appeal
Chapter II : Standards and Tariffs
9. Standards
10. Norms and standards for tariffs
Chapter III : Water Services Authorities
11. Duty to provide access to water services
12. Duty to prepare draft water services development plan
13. Contents of draft water services development plan
14. Draft water services development plan
15. Adoption of development plan
16. New development plan
17. Deviation from development plan
18. Reporting on implementation of development plan
19. Contracts and joint ventures with water services providers
20. Water services authority acting as water services provider
21. Bylaws
Chapter IV : Water Services Providers
22. Approval to operate as water services provider
23. Water services provider must give information
Chapter V : Water Services Intermediaries
24. Registration of water services intermediaries
25. Duties of water services intermediaries
26. Default by water services intermediaries
27. Monitoring performance of water services providers and water services intermediaries
Chapter VI : Water Boards
28. Establishment and disestablishment of water boards
29. Primary activity of water boards
30. Other activities of water boards
31. Powers of water boards
32. Duties of water boards
33. Conditions for provision of services
34. Parameters for functions of water boards
35. Governance of water boards
36. Chief executive of water board
37. Delegation of powers
38. Duties of water board and members
39. Policy statement
40. Business plan
41. Directives to water boards
42. Different activities to be managed as separate units
43. Financial matters and accounts
44. Reporting
45. Investigation of affairs and financial position
46. Assets and liabilities upon disestablishment
47. Litigation against water board
48. Formal irregularities
49. Regulations
50. Effect of inclusion of Chapter in Act
Chapter VII : Water Services Committees
51. Establishment and disestablishment of water services committees
52. Function of water services committees
53. Powers of water services committees
54. Conditions for provision of services
55. Governance of water services committees
56. Duties of committee members
57. Financial matters and accounts
58. Formal irregularities
59. Provision of information
60. Assets and liabilities upon disestablishment
61. Regulations
Chapter VIII : Monitoring and Intervention
62. Monitoring of water services institutions
63. Intervention
Chapter IX : Financial Assistance to Water Services Institutions
64. Powers of Minister
65. Applications for financial assistance
66. Regulations on financial assistance
Chapter X : National Information System
67. Establishment of national information system
68. Purpose of national information system
69. Provision of information
70. Funding of national information system
Chapter XI : General Powers and Duties of Minister
71. Procedure for making regulations
72. Consultation by Minister
73. General powers of Minister
74. Delegation of powers
75. Consideration of draft regulations
76. Advisory committees
Chapter XII : General Provisions
77. Transferability of servitudes
78. Compliance with other laws
79. Ownership of water services works
80. Entry and inspection of property
81. Expropriation
82. Offences
83. State bound by Act
84. Repeal of laws, and savings
85. Short title
Schedules
Schedule 1 : Water Boards
1. Terms of office of board members
2. Disqualification of board members
3. Procedure for nomination and appointment of board members
4. Termination of office of board members
Schedule 2
Repeal of Laws
Regulations
Water Services Provider Contract Regulations
1. Definitions
2. Objects of contract
3. Scope of contract
4. Water use licence
5. Performance targets and indicators
6. Obligations of the Water Services Authority
7. Cession
8. Arrangements in respect of existing employees
9. Commencement, amendment, breach and termination
10. Property rights
11. Assets
12. Financial
13. Consumer charter
14. Disclosure and monitoring
15. Information required by authority
16. Financial records
17. Operational records
18. Access to information by consumers
19. Annual reports
20. Warranties
21. Insurance
22. Dispute resolution
23. Prevention of corruption
24. General
25. Law of the contract
Compulsory National Standards and Measures to Conserve Water
Notice No. R. 509 of 2001
1. Definitions
2. Basic sanitation
3. Basic water supply
4. Interruption in provision of water services
5. Quality of potable water
6. Control of objectionable substances
7. Disposal of grey water
8. Use of effluent
9. Quantity and quality of industrial effluent discharged into a sewerage system
10 Water services audit as a component in the Water Services Development Plan
11. Water and effluent balance analysis and determination of water losses
12. Repair of leaks
13. Measurement or control of water supplied
14. Consumer installations other than meters
15. Pressure in reticulation system
16. Reporting of non-compliance
Notices
Transfer or Disposal of Water Services Works
Notice No. 733 of 1999
Name Change of Umgeni Water to uMngeni - uThukela Water
Notice No. 3555 of 2023
Disestablishment of Mhlathuze Water and the Transfer of Staff, Assets and Liabilities of former Mhlathuze Water to uMngeni - uThukela Water
Notice No. 3555 of 2023
Extension of the Boundary of Umgeni Water to include Mhlathuze Water to form a single Water Board in the KwaZulu-Natal Province
Notice No. 3555 of 2023
Name Change of Bloem Water to Vaal Central Water Board
Notice No. 3664 of 2023
Norms and Standards for Tariff Setting, 2024 - effective 1 April 2026
Notice No. 2524 of 2024
Preface
1. Definitions
2. Principles of Tariffs
3. Roles and Functions of Water Services Institutions
4. Financial Ring-Fencing of Water Services
5. Metering and Monitoring
Norms and Standards in respect of Tariffs for Bulk Water Services
6. Procedure for setting tariffs
7. Revenue requirements for the provision of bulk water services
8. Financial targets
9. Submission of a pro-forma tariff table
10. Benchmarking of unit costs
11. Drought tariffs and seasonal tariffs
12. Timelines for tariff approvals
13. Disclosures of Bulk Water Services Providers: Tariffs and accounts
Norms and Standards in respect of Tariffs for Water Supply Services directly to consumers
14. Procedure for setting tariffs
15. Revenue requirements for provision of water supply services
16. Categories and levels of water services
17. Allocation of revenue requirements for water tariffs
18. Tariffs for domestic water consumption
19. Tariffs for industrial and other non-domestic water use
20. Fixed charges
21. Drought tariffs and seasonal tariffs
22. Disclosure of information for water tariffs
Norms and Standards in respect of Tariffs for Sanitation Services supplied directly to consumers
23. Procedure for setting sanitation tariffs
24. Revenue requirements for provision of sanitation services
25. Categories and Levels of Sanitation Services
26. Allocation of revenue requirements for sanitation tariffs
27. Tariffs for domestic and industrial sanitation services
28. Tariffs for industrial sanitation services
29. Tariffs for sanitation services other than for domestic consumption or industrial use
30. Fixed charge
31. Seasonal tariffs
32. Disclosure of sanitation services tariffs and accounts
33. Timelines table for Retail water tariff setting
Annexures
Annexure A - Format for determining Revenue Requirements for Bulk Water Services Tariffs
Annexure B - Format for Allocation of Revenue for Bulk Water Services Tariffs
Annexure C - Timetable for Approval of Bulk Water Service Providers Tariffs
Annexure D - Format for determining Revenue Requirements for Water Supply Services
Annexure E - Format for Allocating Revenue Requirements to Water Supply Customer Categories
Annexure F - Recommended activities and approval timetable for Municipal Water Services Tariffs