National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998)

General Authorisations in terms of Section 39 of the National Water Act

3. Discharge of waste or water containing waste into a water resource through a pipe, canal, sewer or other conduit; and disposing in any manner of water which contains waste from, or which has been heated in, any industrial or power generation process

3.7 Discharging of domestic and industrial wastewater into water resources

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1)A person who—
i)owns or lawfully occupies property registered in the Deeds Office as at the date of this notice; or
ii)lawfully occupies or uses land that is not registered or surveyed,

outside of the areas as excluded in paragraph 3.4 above, may on that property or land—

a)discharge up to 2 000 cubic metres of wastewater on any given day into a water resource that is not a listed water resource referred to in Table 3.4, provided—
i)the discharge complies with the General Limit Values set out in Table 3.2;
ii)the discharge does not alter the natural ambient water temperature of the receiving water resource by more than 3 degrees Celsius; and
iii)the discharge is not a Complex Industrial Wastewater.
b)discharge up to 2 000 cubic metres of wastewater on any given day into a listed water resource referred to in Table 3.4, provided—
i)the discharge complies with the Special Limit Values set out in Table 3.2;
ii)the discharge does not alter the natural ambient water temperature of the receiving water resource by more than 2 degrees Celsius; and
iii)the discharge is not a Complex Industrial Wastewater.

 

2)A person may discharge stormwater runoff from any premises, not containing waste or wastewater emanating from industrial activities and premises, into a water resource.

 

Table 3.2: Wastewater limit values applicable to discharge of wastewater into a water resource

 

SUBSTANCE/PARAMETER

GENERAL LIMIT

SPECIAL LIMIT

Faecal Coliforms (per 100 ml)

1 000

0

Chemical Oxygen Demand (mg/i)

75 *

30 *

pH

5,5-9,5

5,5-7,5

Ammonia (ionised and un-ionised) as Nitrogen (mg/I)

3

2

Nitrate/Nitrite as Nitrogen (mg/i)

15

1,5

Chlorine as Free Chlorine (mg/I)

0,25

0

Suspended Solids (mg/i)

25

10

Electrical Conductivity (mS/m)

70 mS/m above intake to a maximum of 150 mS/m

50 mS/m above background receiving water, to a maximum of 100 mS/m

Ortho-Phosphate as phosphorous (mg/I)

10

1 (median) and 2,5 (maximum)

Fluoride (mg/I)

1

1

Soap, oil or grease (mg/I)

2,5

0

Dissolved Arsenic (mg/i)

0,02

0,01

Dissolved Cadmium (mg/I)

0,005

0,001

Dissolved Chromium (Vi) (mg/I)

0,05

0,02

Dissolved Copper (mg/I)

0,01

0,002

Dissolved Cyanide (mg/I)

0,02

0,01

Dissolved Iron (mg/I)

0,3

0,3

Dissolved Lead (mg/i)

0,01

0,006

Dissolved Manganese (mg/I)

0,1

0,1

Mercury and its compounds (mg/I)

0,005

0,001

Dissolved Selenium (mg/I)

0,02

0,02

Dissolved Zinc (mg/i)

0,1

0,04

Boron (mg/I)

1

0,5

 

* After removal of algae