General Authorisations in terms of section 39 of the National Water Act, 1998 (Notice No. 398 of 2004).

With this Notice, the Director General of the Department of Water authorize all or any category of persons to use water in terms of section 39(1) of the National Water Act, read together with section 21, in respect of the General Authorizations contained in the Schedule to these Regulations. These authorizations replace the need for a water user to apply for a licence in terms of the National Water Act for a water use provided that the use is within the conditions set out in this Notice. The authorizations concern the diversion of water or the blocking of a flow of water for specified purposes, including agriculture. They shall be subject to certain conditions and shall not apply to any wetland or any water resource within a distance of 500 meters upstream or downstream from the boundary of any wetland or to any estuary or any water resource within a distance of 500 meters upstream from the salt water.