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Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997)

Notices

Norms and Standards for Tariff Setting, 2024 - effective 1 April 2026

Norms and Standards in respect of Tariffs for Sanitation Services supplied directly to consumers

28. Tariffs for industrial sanitation services

 

(1) A WSA/WSP must structure tariffs for sanitation services to consumers who primarily discharge industrial effluent to a wastewater treatment works in a way that takes into account:—
(a) the viability and sustainability of sanitation services;
(b) incentives to reduce the wasteful or inefficient water use in conveying effluent;
(c) the cost of treating specific chemical properties and physical objects of the effluent discharged;
(d) the environmental harm caused by the effluent discharged; and
(e) the need to encourage consumers that discharge industrial effluent to install primary treatment on all wastewater discharge facilities.

 

(2) The requirements of sub-regulation 28(1) are deemed to have been met where:—
(a) industrial effluent discharge tariffs are recovered through a flat rate charge on the volume of effluent discharged into the wastewater treatment works; and
(b) an additional charge is applied for excess concentrations of specific chemicals in the effluent or other adverse physical characteristics of the effluent discharged into the sewage treatment works against the effluent discharge standards provided by the WSA/WSP on application for the services.

 

(3) A WSA/WSP may provide for rebates on the industrial effluent discharge charge to promote beneficial off-peak discharge patterns taking into consideration, amongst others:—
(a) where discharge occurs at specified times only;
(b) where flow is balanced and discharged evenly over 7 days at specified times only; or
(c) where effluent contains readily biodegradable carbon beneficial to the wastewater treatment process.

 

(4) It is encouraged that sanitation charges be based on factors related to water consumption at measurement, however other factors that enhance the sustainability of sanitation services and potentially meeting other socio-economic imperatives may be used in determining the charges.