A Guide to the e-WULAAS

Electronic Water Use Licence Authorisation Application System

Compiled by Lourencio Pick

Overview

e-WULAAS (Electronic Water Use Licence (WUL) Application and Authorisation System)
has a twofold objective:

• Firstly, to provide an online portal to the Department of Water and Sanitation

(DWS) clients to register and subsequently submit their applications for water-use
authorisation.

• Secondly, the system will provide an internal web-based interface for the
authorisation staff to manage, coordinate, track and finalise the authorisation
processes of registered water uses culminating in the issuing of a water use licence.

The Department no longer accepts hard copies of water licence applications except in
very extreme cases.

1. How to Access e-WuLAAS

• Enter the following link: http://164.151.129.107/ewulaasprod/
• Click on Online Application Portal

2. Register your Water Use profile

• Click on “Not Registered”
• You can register as a Client or Consultant
• Complete the Client or Consultant profile register page
• Follow the registration steps to complete your registration and submit

To ensure that you have all the necessary documents for your water licence application
kindly comply to the check lists. (Annexure A)

3. Some useful tips for applying

• As a first step, arrange a pre-application meeting with DWS to discuss the
process and documentation requirements.
• Before applying, contact the Department of Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning (DEA&DP) to establish whether the project requires
an EIA. Most business-scale groundwater abstraction projects will not trigger
an EIA listed activity, but confirmation from the DEA&DP will be required.
The questions typically asked by the DEA&DP are outlined in Annexure B.
This process often takes around 14 days.
• As of 1 March 2018, WUL applications are submitted online through the
eWULAA portal. This allows users to see at what stage their application is at,
which party is responsible for providing information and how long the party
has taken to do so.
• If a consultant is applying on an applicant's behalf, it is recommended that
the eWULAA account is linked to both the consultant and the applicant. It
is best if a joint email account can be created to allow all incoming and
 outgoing emails to be automatically forward to the business owner. This will
enable the applicant to keep track of the application and ensure that the
delays are not from the consultant's side. It is important to do this in the
beginning, as this cannot be changed later.
• Follow up with the DWS regarding your application.

3. Water use Authorisation

In terms of the Act, a person may only use water permissibly (Sect 22 (1) of NWA, 1998) as
follows:

Water use Description License required

Schedule 1 Meaning that a person who lawfully No application for

owns/occupies a property may take water for a licence is
reasonable domestic use, water for small required
gardening (not commercial) and watering for
animals (excluding feedlots) if he/she has lawful
access to the resource, if the use is not excessive
in relation to the capacity of the water resource
and the needs of other lawful water users.
General The General Authorisations (GA) merely allows No licence
Authorisations (GA) for users/ potential water users to do certain required but must
limited water related activities/works (i.e. be registered with
abstraction water from a water source DWS.
(groundwater or surface water (river) or storage
(dam) depended in the area (area of
abstraction i.e. Somerset West, Malmesbury,
etc.) they wish to execute the water use. These
areas and the clearly spelled out allowable
limited/low impact water uses are all in the GA.
Existing Lawful Use This allows for water use that was lawfully No licence is
(ELU) exercised (used) in the window period (two required to
years prior the implementation of the Act) continue with an
before the Act came into effect to continue till Existing Lawful
Compulsory Licensing is called for. Note that the Water Use until a
Water Use should have been lawful, and it must responsible
have been exercised two years prior the authority requires
promulgation of the Act. a person claiming
such an
entitlement to
apply for a
licence.
 Water Use Licence All water uses that do not fall under the previous An application for
categories must be authorized through a Water a water use
Use Licence. The first step in the licencing licence is required
process is the determination of the Reserve for
that specific water resource. The Reserve is that
quantity and quality of water that are being
needed for basic human use and for the
environment.

Water users can only exercise their water use as per the conditions attach to its
permissibility (section 22. (1)) i.e. If a person use water and claim ELU, he/she can’
Use the water on another property if not authorized through a water use licence by DWS.

4. Summary of the General Authorisation for taking water from a water resource

Groundwater (WellPoint/Boreholes) Surface Water (Rivers, Streams)

• Low impact water uses • Low impact water uses

• A person who has lawful access to a • Lawful access to the resource
property or piece of land • Depended on quaternary
• Depended on quaternary drainage drainage area (i.e.
area (i.e. 150m3/ha/annum. A 2000m3/annum per property at a
property size of 2 ha’s can then use rate of 1l/s
150x2=300 m3/annum) (volume • Limit of 50 m3 per day on average
abstracted per property) over a year of abstraction does
• Limited of 10m3 per day on average not require registration (but taking
over a year of abstraction does not of water should not exceed
require (but should not exceed annual limit)
annual limit) • Taking of more than 5l/s must be
• Taking more than 2l/s must be measured (meter)
measured (meter) • Surface water taken in terms of this
GA on a piece of land or property
may be used on another property
or piece of land

No water may be taken within a: No water may be taken within a:

• 500-meter radius of boundary of a • 500-meter radius of boundary
wetland, pan or estuary (delineated edge) of a wetland,
• 100-meter radius of boundary of a pan or estuary
watercourse or state dam
• 500-meter radius of state dam wall
• 500-meter high-water mark of the
ocean without a Water Use Licence
issued by DWS
 • One should also give effect to
conditions of Groundwater Control
area
If the above conditions could not be met, the person (water user) should apply through a Water Use
Licence for permission. The water use should stop immediately.
*If a person abstracts at a rate of more than 1l/sec he/she must apply for permission through a Water Use
Licence Application before they can continue engaging in that water use activity.
**Groundwater use is curtailed by 45% for domestic and industrial use. Meaning that people can only use
55% of the above volumes
**Groundwater use is curtailed by 60% for the Agricultural sector. Meaning that people can only use 40%
of the normal lawful limits.

5. Documents required

The table below outlines the documents required when applying for a specific Water Use:

Water Use Business Documents DWS preformatted forms

General Authorisations DWS will guide during the Pre-WULA stage

(GA)
Existing Lawful Use (ELU) DWS will guide during the Confirmation section 33 of
Pre-WULA stage 35 letter from the
Department

Water Use Licence • Title deeds DW758 – Part 1 Form

• S27 motivation, EIA Company Registration Form
confirmation letter/
“not listed” EIA letter DW760
Taking water from the water
• B-BBEE certificate
source
• Specialists/technical • Details of water resource
reports information
• Technical data
DW788
Taking water from the water
source
• Power Generation, Industrial
or mining use

DW901
Supplementary Water Use
Information
• Property where water use
occurs

DW902
Property description – Property
Owner, Property owner ID and
Title deeds

DW784
 Taking water from the water
resource
Pump technical data

6. Online Application process

Your application for a water use licence will be submitted to the Regional Office of the
Department of Water and Sanitation. The Regional Office will charge a licence
processing fee and will do the assessment in the Regional Office/Catchment
Management Agency. Your licence application will then be transferred to the Head
Office for further processing.

Before applying, contact the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development

Planning (DEA&DP) to establish whether the project requires the need for an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Most business-scale groundwater abstraction projects will not trigger an EIA, but
confirmation from the DEA&DP will be required. The questions typically asked by the
DEA&DP are outlined in Appendix B. This process often takes around 14 days.

The process for applying for a Water Use Licence is shown below. Note that the pre-
application enquiry is compulsory.
There are generally six steps to processing any water use licence application. The
application process is broken up into 3 Phases which need to be completed thoroughly.
These steps aim to test the application against the principle of beneficial use in the public
interest and specifically against Section 27 of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of
1998) (NWA). These steps are:

Step 1 - Pre-Application process (Phase1):

This is done when your licence application is received and is used to check if everything
needed to process the licence application. You will be asked to provide missing
information and may get initial feedback before you pay your application fee (R 100.00
+ VAT) - so you can decide whether to continue.

To complete this process, you must complete the DW758 (Company Registration Form)
form with your business information, water uses applied for, property details where the
water uses are to take place and details of the property owner.

Step 2 - Application Initiation (Phase 2):

This is where the DWS determines the information required to compile a water use licence
application technical report to support the application. The determination of information
requirements will be based on the information contained on the form or the site
inspection, if required.

The following documents will be required in this step:

Documents DWS preformatted forms1

• Title deeds DW758 – Part 1 Form

• S27 motivation, EIA Company Registration Form
confirmation letter/ “not listed”
EIA letter DW760
Taking water from the water source
• B-BBEE certificate
• Details of water resource information
• Specialists/technical reports
DW788
Taking water from the water source
• Power Generation, Industrial or mining
use

DW901
Supplementary Water Use Information
• Property where water use occurs

DW902
Property description – Property Owner,
Property owner ID and Title deeds

1
Please note that for each water use there will be different forms to complete. The e-WULAA system will generate
the specific forms you need to complete.
 Step 3 – Screening (Phase 3):

This is the screening of the Technical Report and the acceptance or rejection thereof.

Documents DWS preformatted forms

• Technical data DW784

Taking water from the water resource
Pump technical data

Step 4 - Processing and Finalising:

This includes the assessment of the Technical Report where the information is evaluated
by specialist groups, and recommendation to the Delegated Authority at the Head office
of DWS for a decision.

Step 5 - Decision by the Delegated Authority:

After considering all the relevant information, the Delegated Authority will decide on
whether to approve or refuse the application.

Step 6 - Implementation:

The Regional Office starts with the implementation of the licence, including issuance and
highlighting any conditions that might be attached to the water use licence.

An application for a water use licence can take up to 300 days to process, depending
on the complexity of the application, its benefits to the general public and its possible
impacts. Generally, low impact, high value licence applications will be processed
quicker. Applicants may be requested, at any stage, to provide more information, to
advertise the proposed water use, or to invite comment from interested and affected
parties.

7. Key contacts

Organisation Name Telephone Email Area of assistance

and
Surname

Department of Derril 021 941 danielsd@dws.gov.za Water use License

Water and Daniels 6189 Applications (Berg-
Sanitation Olifants
Catchment)
 Rafeeq 023 346 rleroux@bgcma.co.za Water Use Specialist
Le Roux 8000 (Breede-Gouritz
Catchment)

Warren 021 941 DreyerW@dws.gov.za Assist with e-

Dreyer 6185 WULAAS portal

Department of Gerhard 021 483 Gerhard.Gerber@westerncape.gov.za Assist with the EIA

Environmental Gerber 2787 process and
Affairs and obtaining the letter
Development stating that an EIA is
Planning not required -
(DEA&DP) applicable in most
cases - and can
provide general
guidance
regarding water-
related
authorisations

City of Cape Shahied shahied.solomon@capetown.gov.za For regulatory

Town Solomon queries relating to
the discharge of
wastewater
(include brine) to
the municipal sewer
(Areas including:
Epping, Atlantis,
Montague
Gardens)

Caashief caashief.adams@capetown.gov.za (Areas including:

Adams Parow, Bellville,
South Peninsula)

James james.hannie@capetown.gov.za (Areas including:

Hannie Durbanville,
Somerset West)
8. City of Cape authorisation2

The following link provides information on the City of Cape Town's requirements in terms
of:

• Borehole registration

• Approval to install alternative water systems

• Water Service Intermediary (WSI) applications

For authorisation to discharge wastewater/brine to a municipal sewer, please contact

the City of Cape Town contacts listed above (i.e. Shahied Solomon, Caashief Adams or
James Hannie).

The above processes are separate to the WULA process. However, consent is also
required from the municipality as part of the WULA process

Please note that each municipality has its own processes for the above! Kindly contact
your respective municipality for more details.

2
Please note that each municipality has its own process of authorisation for borehole registration, installation of
alternative water systems and water service intermediary
Appendix A

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST FOR LICENCE APPLICATION

APPLICATION WATER QUALITY

DOCUMENT √

1 Fully completed licence application forms signed by applicant

2 Proof of License Application Fee of R114.00

3 Certified ID of the applicant/responsible person /company registration certificate

4 Copy of property's title deed

5 Copy of property's zoning document

A letter of consent from the registered land owner if applicant is not the owner/ Lease
6 agreement

A Topographic map of 1:50 000 /Aerial Photo of 1:10 000 indicating map name, number
and property boundaries including subdivisions. Existing and proposed abstraction and
7 discharge points, irrigation fields, boreholes must also be indicated.

Water Quality Management Report/Aide Memoire/Integrated Water &Waste

8 Management Plan/Geohydrological Report/Contingency plans etc

Other Correspondence:

• Environmental Impact Assessment Report

9 • Approved Environmental Management Plan

•RoD from Environmental Affairs

•Public Participation correspondence

10 Motivation considering all relevant factors as mentioned in Section 27 of NWA,1998

Proof that proposed water use will redress the result of past racial and gender
11 discrimination/Social and Labour Plan

12 Reserve Request

13 Reserve Available
APPLICATION TAKING AND STORAGE

DOCUMENT √

1 Fully completed licence application forms signed by applicant

2 Proof of License Processing fee of R114.00

3 Certified ID copy of the applicant /company registration certificate

4 Copy of property's title deed

A letter of consent from the registered land owner if applicant is not the owner/ Lease
5 agreement

A Topographic map of 1:50 000 /Aerial Photo of 1:10 000 indicating map name, number
and farm boundaries including subdivisions. Existing and proposed irrigation fields, dam
6 postitions and boreholes must also be indicated.

7 Technical report which should include run-off calculations, preliminary dam design

Geohydrlogical Report which should include Hydro-sensus, Pump Test, Water Balance,
8 Recharge and detail of Aquifer

Other Correspondence:

• Environmental Impact Assessment Report

9 • RoD from Environmental Affairs

• Public Participation correspondence

• Letter from Water User Association

10 Motivation considering all relevant factors as mentioned in Section 27 of NWA,1998

Proof that proposed water use will redress the result of past racial and gender
11 discrimination /BBBEE status

12 Reserve Request

13 Reserve Available
Annexure B

Questions typically posed by the Department of

Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
(DEA&DP) to determine whether an EIA is required

1. What is the description of the proposed development and associated

infrastructure;

2. What are the property details (Erf number and addresses) of the proposed
development;

3. The amount of treated water that will be produced per day;

4. Will any indigenous vegetation be cleared to accommodate the proposed

development;

5. Is there existing access to the site;

6. Clarity as to whether an authorisation will be required from the Department of

Water and Sanitation.