Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Towards a WDCS

PRESENTERS:

Pieter Viljoen (DWAF)Dr. Judex Oberholzer (Urban-Econ)

Assisted by:Robyn Arnold (Communication)Martin Grosskopf (Modeling)

TOWARDS A WASTE DISCHARGE CHARGE SYSTEM for SOUTH AFRICA

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

OrganisationORGANISATION OF THE WORKSHOP

Programme

Handout & supporting document

Questions on cards

Informationposters

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Aims of the workshop

AIMS OF THE WORKSHOP

Present proposed Waste Discharge Charge System

Obtain feedback from stakeholders: possible adjustments

Identify limitations

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

CONTENTS

CONTENTS OF PRESENTATION

•Section 1 Background information

•Section 2 The research process

•Section 3 Conceptual framework

•Section 4 Elements of proposed system

•Section 5 Economic and financial implications

•Section 6 Implementation schedule

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Why address water quality?

Seine riverin Paris: one fish species(1961)

WHY ADDRESS WATER QUALITY ?

Introducesystem (1964): 30 fish species

Some rivers in RSA same condition

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

What is the WDCS

WHAT IS THE WDCS ?

The WDCS is a framework for charging for the discharge of waste into water resources.

It aims to use economic instruments to encourage impactors to:

Internalise the social, economic and ecological costs of discharges

Reduce the amount of waste discharged into water resources

Note: Not a pollution charge

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Water problems in RSA

WATER PROBLEMS IN RSA

Factors that influence the supply of water in South Africa1. Country is semi-arid

2. Rainfall patterns erratic

3. Regions of high runoff away from areas of maximum demand

4. Groundwater limited and poor quality

5. Catchments infested by invader vegetation (Working for Water)

6. Water quality deterioration impact on availability

Assimilative capacity of the water resource is reducedOpportunity to use resource diminished

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Demand on water

resources

DEMAND ON WATER RESOURCES IS GROWING

1. The high population growth rate

2. Rapid urbanisation

3. Economic development

4. Demands for higher levels of service

5. Aquatic eco-system is negatively impacted and requires rehabilitation

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Extent of water resource pollution

EXTENT OF WASTE CONSTITUENTS IN WATER RESOURCES

TDS 650 000 TP 19 000NH3/NH4 3 400NO2/NO3 9 700 Suspended solids 26 000

Main pollutants (national approximation) tons per year

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Catchment System

CATCHMENT SYSTEM: CORE MESSAGE

“EVERYBODY LIVES DOWNSTREAM”

11 Water uses

5 Water users

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Users & Uses

Agriculture

Industry

Recreation

Domestic

Aquatic ecosystem

S21(a)Taking water from a resourceS21(b)Storing water

S21(f)Discharging waste or water containing waste into a water resource

S21(d)Engaging in a streamflow reduction activityS21(e)Engaging in a controlled activity

S21(g)Disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource

S21(i)Altering the bed, banks course or characteristics of a watercourse

S21(h)Disposing in any manner of water which contains waste from, or heated in, any power generation process

S21(k)Using water for recreational purposes

S21(j)Removing, discharging or disposing of water found underground

S21(c)Impending or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse

14USERSDictating the water quality requirements

USE

SP

oten

tially

impa

ctin

g on

wat

er re

sour

ce

Refer to Poster on DWAF website

Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

21(e)

21 (e) / S37(1a) Engaging in a controlled activity

Irrigation industrial/ miningOxidation pond overflowSewerage sludge

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

21 (f)

S 21 (f) Discharging waste or water containing waste into a water resource

Domestic wasteIndustrial wasteMining wasteStormwaterIrrigation return-flow channels

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

21 (g)

21 (g) Disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water source.

Oxidation pondsSlimes dams (industrial/ mining)Evaporation dams (industrial/ mining)Stormwater

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

National Water Act

NATIONAL WATER ACT (NWA)

The Minister may, with the concurrence of the Ministry of Finance, from time to time by notice in

the Gazette, establish a pricing strategy for charges for any water use within the framework of existing

relevant government policy.

1. For funding water resource management

2. For funding water resource development and use of waterworks

3. For achieving the equitable and efficient allocation of water

Section 56 of the NWA instructs the Minister to establish a Pricing Strategy:

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Elements of Pricing Strategy

ELEMENTS OF PRICING STRATEGY1. Only applied to water management areas or schemes where annual water

use has been registered or licensed.

2. End user for which unit sectoral charges will be calculated are: water services authorities industrial, mining and energy irrigation stream-flow reduction activities

3. Funding Water Resource Management: regulate, manage and maintain the water resource / catchment.

4. The budget allocated to the following: Functional support (from regional offices) Planning and implementation of catchment management strategies Dam safety control Water quality management Water utilisation Water conservation (including the Working for Water programme).

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Point sourc

e discharges

Notes

Point sources Diffuse sources

EvaporationPond

Section 21(g)

POINT SOURCE DISCHARGES

Controlled activity(Irrigation)

Section 21(e)

Groundwater S21(e)

S 21(f)

Rive

r

Water use sectors

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Overview of charges

Waste Water Treatment

Treatment Plant

OVERVIEW OF CHARGES (NWA) AND WATER SERVICES ACT TARIFFS

Resource: Dam

Resource: River

Mining

Domestic users

12

3

4

6

6

6

5

3

2

Industry

Recreation charge (NWA)

Abstraction charge (NWA)

Water supply tariff (WSA)

Trade effluent tariff (WSA)

Sewerage tariff (WSA)

Waste discharge charge (NWA)

2

1

3

4

5

6

2

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

Marine outfall

Estuary

Domestic

Pump station

Water use sectors

Ocean

River

Note:Legal mandateResource definition (exclude marine environment)Water containing wasteWater is used to transport waste

MARINE OUTFALL: DWAF RESPONSIBILITY

Fresh water resource

Section 21(f)

Section 21(h)

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Department: Water Affairs and Forestry Water Research Commission

WDCS and the Policy

Environment

Important conclusion….

The WDCS will become a subcomponent of the Pricing Strategy. This research process is to determine how to incorporate a Waste Discharge Charge System into the Pricing Strategy

WDCS and the Policy Environment23