NATIONAL OFFICE - PRETORIA
Groundwater Resource Assessment and Monitoring (GRAM)
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The on-going assessment of groundwater resources
in terms of occurrence, quantification, quality, development potential and protection
requirements in support of groundwater resources management.
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Auditing and optimisation of groundwater monitoring programmes and networks. Expansion
of national network coverage and gradual upgrade to a national real time monitoring
network.
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The on-going provision of technical and scientific support for groundwater development
and integrated water resource management (allocation, conservation, resource directed
measures, water quality management) at all levels.
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Contacts
Groundwater
Information
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The on-going development and maintenance of a national groundwater information system,
its population with data of best possible quality, establishment of appropriate
national standards in support of integrated water resource management.
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Contacts
Regional Support
Groundwater Reserve Requirements (GWRR)
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The main functions of the GWRR are to develop policies, strategies and guidelines
towards the protection of groundwater resources through the determination of the
groundwater component of the Reserve. Before water can be allocated for any other
use, a preliminary Reserve, Strategic use, International obligations and General
Authorization, have to be set aside. Of importance is the groundwater Reserve, which
needs to be determined to ensure that some groundwater is available for Basic Human
Needs and the Ecological Water Requirements.
Groundwater component of the Reserve can be initiated through priority list set
by the Water Resource Planning Directorate, or can be initiated at the request of
the Regional Office.
- GWRR support the Regional Offices (RO), through their requests, with Groundwater Reserve determination studies. Such studies establish
whether the groundwater demand is exceeded by groundwater availability. In such
instances, compulsory water use licensing will follow to reconcile access between
different water users to distribute available groundwater resources equitably.
Alternatively, Regional Offices can request for the Reserve determination to ensure
that there is still groundwater to be allocated to other users. However, Regional
Offices need to monitor if there are no cumulative impacts such that the determined
Reserve is not impacted upon.
Although there is General Authorization set for every five years since 1999, to
ease access to groundwater without applying for a water use licence, it is imperative
for RO to ensure that General Authorization is not used by unregistered users. This can in the long run prove detrimental to groundwater Reserve, where the latter has
priority over all other uses.
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Contacts
Integrated Hydrological
Planning
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To develop policies,
strategies and guidelines for the assessment, planning and management and
modification; to support planning decision support needs and water resource management
objectives. To render specialist project and management support at strategic level
with regards to conjunctive use, thereby enhancing our limited water resources.
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Contacts
REGIONAL
OFFICES
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
- The North West Regional Office is responsible for the following Water Management
Areas: Crocodile (West) and Marico
- Current research, developments, projects and programmes in the Region ( not updated
)
- Contacts
Western Cape
WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION
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