1. (a) Compliance monitoring audits are non-financial performance audits conducted to determine conformity by municipalities with the National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998. There is no direct financial legislation applicable.
(b) There were no relevant financial legal obligations involved in conducting compliance audits.
(2) (a) (i) and (ii)
Province |
License |
Permit |
General authorisation |
Exemption |
Total |
Western Cape |
33 |
11 |
37 |
3 |
84 |
Limpopo |
21 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
32 |
North-West |
20 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
30 |
Mpumalanga |
25 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
38 |
Gauteng |
44 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
51 |
Free State |
21 |
5 |
11 |
38 |
75 |
Northern Cape |
10 |
10 |
1 |
19 |
40 |
Eastern Cape |
16 |
10 |
58 |
36 |
120 |
Kwazulu-Natal |
13 |
27 |
9 |
20 |
69 |
Total |
203 |
65 |
135 |
136 |
539 |
(b) (i) and (ii) All municipal wastewater treatment plants were audited in the period between 2009-2023.
(c) Authorisations issued to the wastewater treatment plants have conditions prescribing how much waste and concentrations can be released into the environment. The teams that conduct compliance audits are trained Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) capable of determining whether the conditions have been breached or not. In cases of non-compliance resulting in pollution of the environment, such pollution can be quantified in terms of its impact on the environment. This involves sampling the polluted medium, analysis of the samples, and interpretation thereof.
(d) In instances where a water user fails to comply with any of the license conditions, the Department first exercises administrative enforcement actions which are in the form of Notices and Directives to afford the water users an opportunity to rectify any non-compliance. When users are non-responsive, the Department proceeds with either or both criminal and civil enforcement actions.
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