Mines illegally consume precious water

AT LEAST 36 mines are operating without water-usage licences and violating the National Water Act (NWA) as they consume thousands of litres of water daily without being monitored, according to the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation (DWS).

They also pose the danger of contaminating water sources and domestic drinking water as the government cannot keep tabs on them.

The licence, which costs R114, is a regulatory tool that enables the department to protect water uses.

The department said only the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has a mandate to shut down mines without water licences.

However, the DMR did not comment on how many mines they have closed recently for operating without water licences. The DWS also revealed that Northern Cape leads with 17 such mines, followed by KwaZulu Natal with 14. The act states that offenders are liable for fines including imprisonment. Now civil rights organisation, AfriForum is attempting to force the DWS minister, Edna Molewa, to act.

The organisation recently launched the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) against the department in a bid to understand the scourge of the problem which threatens the quality of water in mining towns as unlicensed companies sometimes pollute water sources because of their operations.

The NWA makes it compulsory for water users in industries such as mining, agriculture and power generation to register for licences before they could start operations.

However, it is believed that capacity limitations within the department have hindered processing of such licences on time. Industries use 90% of the country’s water.

Chris Boshoff, AfriForum’s co-ordinator for environmental affairs, has written to Molewa demanding to know which steps her department has taken to stop unlicensed mines from operating and what mechanisms are being applied to monitor compliance in mines.

@lindilesifile