Regulations relating to Compulsory National Standards and Measures to Conserve Water

Government Gazette REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Regulation Gazette No. 7079 Vol. 432 Pretoria 8 June 2001 No. 22355 AIDS HELPLINE: 0800-123-22 Prevention is the cure 2 No. 22355 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. 8 JUNE 2001 I No. CONTENTS INHOLID Page Gazette No. No. No. Bladsy Koerant No. No. GOVERNMENT NOTICE GOEWERMENTSK~NNISGEWING Water Affairs and Forestry, Department of Waterwese en Bosbou, Departemhnt van Government Notice Goewermentskennisgewing R. 509 Water Services Act (108/1997): Regu lations: Compulsory national standards and measures to conserve water ,........... 3 22355 ~~~ - ~ GOVERNMENT NOTICE GOEWERMENTSKENNISGEWING No. R. 509 DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTR~ DEPARTEMENT VAN WATERWESE EN BOSBOU 8 June 2001 WATER SERVICES ACT, 1997 REGULATIONS RELATING TO COMPULSORY NATIONAL SllANDARDS AND MEASURES TO CONSERVE WATER The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry has under sections 9( 1) and 73( I)(j) of the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997), made the Regulations ilh the Schedule. STAATSKOERANT, 8 JUNIE 2001 No. 22355 3 Definitions 1. In these Regulations any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall bear that meaning and, unless the context odhenvise indicates “effluent” means human excreta, domestic sludge, domestic waste-watei-, grey water or waste water resulting from the commercial or industrial use of water; “grey water” means waste water resulting from the use of water for do4.estic purposes, but does not include human excreta; “supply zone” means an area, determined by a water services institutionh within which all the consumer connections are provided with water supply services from the same bulk supply; “the Act” means the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997); “the National Water Act” means the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998); “user connection” means any connection through which a user can gain dccess to water services and includes any consumer installation and any bulk or coimmunal connection. “user sector” means the applicable category of users, being users categotised into at least either (a) domestic; (b) industrial; or (c) commercial. sectors; “water efficient device” means any product that reduces the excessive uke of water. 4 No. 22355 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 8 JUNE 2001 r I Basic sanitation 2. The minimum standard for basic sanitation services is (a) the provision of appropriate health and hygiene education: an4 (b) a toilet which is safe, reliable, environmentally sound, easy tof keep clean, provides privacy and protection against the weather, well vendilated, keeps smells to a minimum and prevents the entry and exit of [flies and other disease-carrying pests. Basic water supply 3. The minimum standard for basic water supply services is (a) the provision of appropriate education in respect of effective watek use; and (b) a minimum quantity of potable water of 25 litres per person per dLy or 6 kilolitres per household per month (i) at a minimum flow rate of not less than 10 litres per minute; (ii) within 200 metres of a household; and (iii) with an effectiveness such that no consumer is without a supply for more than seven full days in any year. Interruption in provision of water services 4. A water services institution must take steps to ensure that where the water services usually provided by or on behalf of that water services institution are ildterrupted for a period of more than 24 hours fm reasons other than those contemplated in section 4 of the Act, a consumer has access to alternative water services comprising (a) at least 10 litres of potable water per person per day; and (b) sanitation services sufficient to protect health. STAATSKOERANT, 8 JUNlE 2001 II No. 22355 5 1. Quality of potable water 5. (1) Within two years of the promulgation of these Regulations, a wa er services authority must include a suitable programme for sampling the qu 4 ity of potat water provided by it to consumers in its water services developmeht plan. )le (2) The water quality sampling programme contemplated in subregClation (1) must specify the points at which potable water provided to consiumers will be sampled, the frequency of sampling and for which substances ahd determinants the water will be tested. (3) A water services institution must compare the results obtained fijom the testing of the samples with SABS 241 : Specifications for DrinlQing Water, or the South African Water Quality Guidelines published by the Dkpartment of Water Affairs and Forestry. (4) Should the comparison of the results as contemplated in subregullation (3) indicate that the water supplied poses a health risk, the water setvices institution must infonn the Director-General of the Departmentiof Water Affairs and Forestry and the head of the relevant Provincial Dedartment of Health and it must take steps to inform its consumers (a) that the quality of the water that it supplies poses a health ridk; (b) of the reasons for the health risk; (c) of any precautions to be taken by the consumers; and (d) of the time frame, if any, within which it may be expected tNat water o f a safe quality will be provided. Control of objectionable substances 6. (1) A water services institution must take measures to prevent any substance other than uncontaminated stornl water to enter (a) any storm water drain; or (b) any watercourse. except in accordance with the provisions of the National Water Act. 6 No. 22355 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 8 JUNE 2001 - I (2) A water services institution must take measures to prevent stormwater from entering its sewerage system. Disposal of grey water 7. A water services institution may ill : : e limitations on the use of gdey water if the use thereof may negatively affect IIeaIth, the environment or available water resources. Use of effluent 8. (1) A water services institution must ensure that the use of effluent lfor any purpose does not pose a health risk before approving that use. (2) Any tap or point of access through which effluent or non-potaljle water can be accessed, must be clearly marked with a durable notice indichting that the effluent or non-potable water is not suitable for potable purposek. (3) A notice contemplated in subregulation (2) must be in more thah one official language and must include the PV5 symbolic sign for non-potadle water as described in SABS 11 86: Symbolic Safety Signs: Part 1 : Standdrds, Signs and General Requirements. Quantity and quality of industrial effluent discharged into a seweraie system 9. A water services institution is only obliged to accept the quantity and quality of industrial effluent or any other substance into a sewerage system that the sewage treatment plant linked to that system is capable of purifying or treatilhg to ensure that any discharge to a water resource complies with any standard prtscribed under the National Water Act. STAATSKOERANT, 8 JUNIE 2001 No. 22355 7 - I Water services audit as a component in the Water Services Develodment Plan 10. (1) A water services authority must include a water services audiB in its annual report on the implementation of its water services development plad required in terms of section 18( 1) of the Act. (2) A water services audit must contain details for the previous finahcial year and, if available, comparative figures for the preceding two financial; years of (a) the quantity of water services provided, including at least (i) the quantity of water used by each user sector; (ii) the quantity of water provided to the water services insiitution by another water services institution; (iii) the quantity of effluent received at sewage treatment filants; and (iv) the quantity of effluent not discharged to sewage treakment plants and approved for use by the water services institutiod; (b) the levels of services rendered, including at least (i) the number of user connections in each user sector; (ii) the number of households provided with water through communal water services works; (iii) the number of consumers connected to a water reticulation system where pressures rise above 900 kPa at the consumer donnection; (iv) the number of households provided with sanitation sekvices through consumer installations connected to the sewerage system; (v) the number of households with access to basic sanitation services; (vi) the number of new water supply connections made; And (vii) the number of new sanitation connections made; (c) the numbers provided in compliance with paragraph (b) expfessed as a a rJ0. 22355 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. -5 JUNE 2001 - I percentage of the total number of connections or households; (d) cost recovery, including at least (i) the tariff structures for each user sector; (ii) the income collected expressed as a percentage of total'costs for water services provided; and (iii) unrecovered charges expressed as a percentage of totdl costs for water services provided; (e) meter installation and meter testing, including at least (i) the number of new meters installed at consumer installations: and (ii) the number of meters tested and the number of meters r4placed expressed as a percentage of the total number of meters installed at consumer connections: ( f ) the water quality sampling programme contemplated in re ulation 5( l), the results of the comparison set out in regulation 5(3!) 9 and any occurrence reported in compliance with regulation 5(4); And (g) water conservation and demand management. including at least (i) the results of the water balance as set out i n regulation 1 ir : (ii) the total quantity of water unaccounted for: (iii) the demand management activities undertaken; and (iv) the progress made in the installation of water efficient devices. STAATSK0ERANT.B JUNIE 2001 No. 22355 9 - I Water and effluent balance analysis and determination of water losbes 11. (1) Within two years of the promulgation of these Regulations, a wkter services institution must every month (a) measure the quantity of water provided to each supply zone !within its supply area; (b) determine the quantity of unaccounted for water by comparibg the measured quantity of water provided to each supply zone with the total measured quantity of water provided to all user connections'within that supply zone; (c) measure the quantity of effluent received at each sewage treatment plant; and (d) determine the quantity of water supplied but not discharged to sewage treatment plants by comparing the measured quantity of efflbent received at all sewage treatment plants with the total measured quantijty of water provided to all user connections. (2) A water services institution must (a) take steps to reduce the quantity of water unaccounted for; ahd (b) keep record of the quantities of water measured and of the callculations made. Repair of leaks 12. A water services institution must repair any major, visible or reporteki leak in its water services system within 48 hours of becoming aware thereof. 10 No. 22355 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 8 JUNE 2001 Measurement or control of water supplied 13. (1) A water services institution must (a) within two years after promulgation of these Regulations, fit ia suitable water volume measuring device or volume controlling devic& to all user connections provided with water supply services that are exidting at the time of commencement of these Regulations; and (b) fit a suitable water volume measuring device or volume contdolling device to every user connection made after the commencement of thkse Regulations. (2) If constructed or installed after promulgation of these Regulatiobs; a suitable water volume measuring device or volume controlling device dust be fitted to separately measure or control the water supply to every (a) individual dwelling within a new sectional title development; group housing development or apartment building; (b) individual building, having a maximum designed flow rate etceeding 60 litres per minute within any commercial or institutional comblex; and (c) irrigation system with a maximum designed flow rate exceeding 60 iitres per minute that uses water supplied by a water services institd.tion. (3) Where the water supplied is measured by way of a meter, that mkter must comply with the Trade Metrology Act, 1973 (Act No. 77 of 1993). i f o f a size regulated under that Act. Consumer installations other than meters 14. Every consumer installation must comply with SABS 0252: Water Sbpply and Drainage for Buildings and SABS 0254: The Installation of Fixed Elbctric Storage Water Heating Systems, or any similar substituting re-enacthent or amendment thereof if the consumer installation is of a type regulatediby either standard. STAATSKGERANT, 8 JUNIE 2001 No. 22355 11 - I Pressure in reticulation system 15. (1) A water services institution must design and maintain every wbter reticulation system installed after promulgation of these Regulations to operate below a maximum pressure of 900 kPa. (2) Where water pressure in a water reticulation system could risd above 900 kPa, a water services institution must install a pressure control device to prevent the pressure at any domestic consumer connection frdm rising above 900 kPa. Reporting of non-compliance 16. A water services institution must have a consumer service to wljich non compliance with these regulations can be reported.