The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is calling on stakeholders to comment on the framework for water pricing in South Africa by November 3.
The National Pricing Strategy for Raw Water Use aims to guide the pricing of water use from rivers, boreholes or supplied from government schemes and the discharge of water into a water resource or on to land, besides others.
The strategy aims to facilitate reform in the water sector and provide transparency and predictability to water users on how water will be priced, while supporting the ambitions outlined in the National Water Resources Strategy to ensure water is efficiently and effectively managed for equitable and sustainable growth and development.
Gazetted on August 5, the updated pricing strategy provides for six water user categories, an increase from the previous four, to better represent the water user groups and to allow for more clearly targeted charges.
The proposed water user categories include hydropower, strategic users, stream flow reduction activities, agriculture, municipal and industry and mining.