WULA Tool — Water Use Licence Application

Step 1 of 9

Project & Applicant Details

Provide details of the applicant and the project for which a Water Use Licence is sought in terms of Section 41 of the National Water Act 36 of 1998.

NWA Section 41

Any person who wishes to undertake a water use listed under Section 21 must apply to the relevant DWS Regional Office for a Water Use Licence (WUL). General Authorisations (GAs) may apply for minor uses — the WUL Screener can help determine which applies.

Applicant Information

Full Name / Entity Name *

Registration / ID Number

Contact Person *

Designation / Title

Telephone *

Email Address *

Postal Address

Project / Property Details

Project Name *

Property Description *

Farm / Erf Number

Province *

Local Municipality

GPS Coordinates (Decimal Degrees)

📍 Click Map to Auto-Populate Location, WMA & Catchment

Click anywhere in South Africa

Water Management Area (WMA)

Quaternary Catchment Code

Brief Project Description *

Step 2 of 9

Section 21 Water Use Types

Select all water uses that apply to your project under Section 21 of the National Water Act. Multiple uses may apply. Each selected use will require quantification and motivation.

Important

General Authorisations (GNs R509, R510, R704, R509) may permit minor water uses without a licence. If you are unsure, use the WUL Screener first. All uses exceeding GA thresholds require a full WUL application.

Step 3 of 9

Water Quantities & Source

Specify the volumes of water required for each selected water use type and identify the water source. All quantities must be substantiated in the motivation section.

Primary Water Source *

River / Watercourse Name

Total Annual Volume Required (m³/year) *

Peak Monthly Volume (m³/month)

Peak Daily Volume (m³/day)

Abstraction Rate (l/s) — if applicable

Breakdown by Water Use Type

Water Use (NWA S21)	Volume (m³/year)	Unit	Duration

Groundwater Details (if applicable)

Number of Boreholes

Depth of Boreholes (m)

Aquifer Type

Geohydrological Report Available

Step 4 of 9

Existing Water Uses

Declare all existing lawful water uses on the property. This includes uses registered prior to 1998 (Schedule 1, existing lawful use) and any current General Authorisations in place.

Existing Lawful Use — NWA Schedule 1 & Section 32

Existing lawful water uses that were in place on 1 October 1998 (commencement of NWA) are protected. These must still be declared and may be incorporated into the new licence.

Existing Registered Use? *

DWS Registration Number (if available)

Current Annual Volume Used (m³/year)

Current Use Type

General Authorisation in Place?

GA Reference / Notification Number

Description of Existing Uses

Step 5 of 9

Motivation & Justification

Provide a detailed motivation for the water use licence application. DWS will assess the need, reasonableness and justification of the proposed water use against available resource and downstream users.

Need and Desirability of Water Use *

Drafting Need & Desirability...

Water Efficiency & Conservation Measures *

Drafting Water Efficiency...

Alternatives Considered

Drafting Alternatives Considered...

Impact on Other Water Users & Downstream Flows

Drafting Downstream Impact...

Compliance with Catchment Management Strategy

Drafting CMS Compliance...

Step 6 of 9

Mitigation Measures

Describe all measures that will be taken to prevent, reduce or mitigate negative impacts of the proposed water use on the water resource, aquatic ecology and downstream users.

Pollution Prevention Measures *

Drafting Pollution Prevention...

Stormwater Management

Drafting Stormwater Management...

Ecological Reserve Compliance

Drafting Ecological Reserve...

Riparian Buffer Zones

Drafting Riparian Buffer...

Monitoring & Compliance Programme

Drafting Monitoring Programme...

Emergency Response Plan

Drafting Emergency Response...

Step 7 of 9

Supporting Documents Checklist

Confirm which supporting documents are available or will be submitted with the application. Required documents are determined by the water use types selected. Missing required documents may delay or invalidate the application.

DWS Submission Requirements

All applications must include a signed covering letter, completed DWS Form (available from regional office), and proof of land ownership/permission. Additional specialist reports depend on the water use types.

Step 8 of 9

DWS Regional Office

Your application must be submitted to the DWS Regional Office with jurisdiction over the area where the water use will take place, based on the province selected in Step 1.

Recommended Office

Select a province in Step 1 to see the recommended DWS regional office.

Application Submission Method

Preferred Submission Method

Anticipated Submission Date

EAP / Consultant Name (if applicable)

EAP Contact / Registration

Step 9 of 9

Review & Generate Application

Review your application summary below. Once satisfied, generate the WULA pre-submission package including the application summary, supporting document checklist, and DWS covering letter.

⚡ EIA Trigger Assessment (NEMA Listing Notices)

Complete water use types and volumes to see EIA trigger assessment.

Estimated DWS Application Fee

—

Enter water use types and volumes to estimate

Processing Timeline

—

Based on water use complexity and regional office

Ecological Reserve Class

—

Based on WMA and quaternary catchment selected

Optional — Public Participation

I&AP Register

For water uses that trigger an EIA or require public notification, maintain an Interested & Affected Parties register. This is required for S21(e) waste disposal uses and any EIA-linked application.

When Required

Public participation is mandatory where an EIA is triggered (see Step 9 EIA assessment). Even where not formally required, DWS recommends notification of downstream water users and adjacent landowners.

Stakeholder Register

#	Name / Organisation	Category	Contact	Notified	Comments Received	Response

✓ WULA Package Generated

Water Use Licence Application

REF: WULA-2026-001 · Generated by SSK Enviro WULA Tool