Dam owners, register now
The dam registration campaign is also aimed at maintaining an accurate database of dam ownership and safety compliance for effective regulation and risk management.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) calls on dam owners across SA who own unregistered dams to promptly register the dams to ensure safety compliance.
This comes as the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, published a gazette notice calling to register existing dams with a safety risk, as mandated by the National Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998), along with regulations 2, 3, and 37 of the Dam Safety Regulations (R139 of February 24, 2012).
Registration aims to ensure the safety of dams and reduce risks to the public, property and water resources.
It’s also aimed at maintaining an accurate database of dam ownership and safety compliance for effective regulation and risk management.
Dams owners meeting the criteria for classification as a dam with a safety risk must verify their registration status, and if not yet registered, submit the required forms to the DWS.
Wally Ramokopa, the head of specialist unit dam safety regulation in the DWS, said it considers a dam with a safety risk as one with a storage capacity exceeding 50 00m³ (50ML) of water.
“Whether the water contains other substances or not, and having a vertical wall height of more than 5m, measured from the downstream base.
“The department is rolling out a mass multimedia campaign to raise awareness about the importance of dam registration to ensure all dams with safety risks meet compliance standards to reduce potential harm to people, property and the environment,” said Ramokopa.
Dam owners must update their details if registered and submit registration and classification forms if not.
Download the forms from the department’s website at www.dws.gov.za/dso or collect them from the nearest departmental offices.
The DWS enforces compliance for dam owners to do safety inspections at least every five years.
The spokesperson for the DWS, Wisane Mavasa, said dam owners must arrange for a formal dam safety inspection by an approved professional person (APP).
“When carrying out the five-year safety evaluation, the APP will do a flood frequency analysis to check if the dam can route through different flood occurrences.
“This helps the department’s dam safety office know beforehand if the dam would overtop should a certain size flood occur or potential damage to the dam. The safety office then receives reports from the APPs, which contain information about the flood handling capability and structural behaviour of dams,” said Mavasa.
Mavasa added that in addition to the dam safety regulations, owners must abide by the dam safety office, which does dam safety compliance.
“Failure to implement the APPs’ recommendations, especially when findings indicate the dam might not be safe and have the potential to fail or cause loss of life, can issue directives to compel dam owners to comply,” said Mavasa.
Ramokopa sternly warned dam owners not complying with the regulations and emphasised that the DWS would not hesitate to take punitive measures to ensure compliance.
“Dam owners are bound by law to comply and implement recommendations made by an APP after inspections. To prevent loss of life and safeguard the environment, we will not blink twice to ensure dam owners do what is required by law,” Ramokopa emphasised.
The DWS urges all dam owners to act immediately. Compliance is a legal requirement and critical to ensuring the safety of communities, protecting the environment, and securing water resources for the future.
For more information on dam registration, email the specialist unit: dam safety regulation on damsafety@dws.gov.za or call Mokgadi Modipane on 082 802 7092 or Makgano Tlaka at 083 412 2649.
Also Read: A picture-perfect addition to Homestead Dam
Also Read: Paddlers Jacobs, Boulle win at Homestead Dam
