Water Supply Augmentation | 110% Green

City of Cape Town

For businesses located within the City of Cape Town, a City Business Inquiry Service has been set up that will provide information on the City’s procedures and processes. Please contact business.support@capetown.gov.za

If you are in the City of Cape Town, all the details on applying and making use of an alternative water systems can be found here

If you would like to register as a water service intermediary (selling on water that has been abstracted or treated to other parties) please visit the City of Cape Town's website. The application for can be downloaded here. If you have any queries you can contact Nokuzola Mhlungu at nokuzola.mhlungu@capetown.gov.za.

Groundwater or Borehole Use

Groundwater or boreholes can be a reliable means of accessing water. However, the access to this water is limited and carefully regulated. There are effectively three categories of groundwater use:

  • Schedule 1 (of the National Water Act): This is for domestic and non-commercial use only. The applicant would need to register their use with their municipality and ensure that they don’t exceed the abstraction limit of 10 kl/day. This water is typically used for watering residential gardens or common amenity areas. 
  • General authorisation: This is for applicants who are abstracting more than the Schedule 1 limit noted above or who intend to utilise this water for commercial purposes the  area’s general authorisation limit differs for each area, depending on the nature of the local aquifer.
  • Water use license: A water use license can be applied for through the National Department of Water & Sanitation’s online Electronic Water Use Licence Application and Authorisation System (e-WULAAS).

Please take note of the statement made by the Department of Water and Sanitation titled 'Water from private boreholes is not meant for sale'.

The WULAA guide provide more information on the Water Use Licence Application process. 

DW901 Property.pdf (pdf, 225 KB)
DW902 Property owners.pdf (pdf, 227.46 KB)