Focus on CSIR research in pollution waste: Resource-directed management of water quality series

Abstract

The promulgation of the National Water Act, 1998 (NWA, Act No. 36 of 1998), various other acts, policies and White Papers gave a new direction to water resources management and specifically management of water quality in South Africa. In terms of the NWA (36:1998), the most important management functions are protection, management and equitable allocation. The fundamental principle guiding the NWA (36:1998) of South Africa is that water is a national resource, owned by the people of South Africa. This necessitates an integrated source-, resource- and remediation-focused approach to water quality management. To address one aspect of implementation, the CSIR developed the Resource Directed Management of Water Quality (RDMWQ) Series as part of a Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (South Africa) project. The RDMWQ series provides policy, strategy and management instruments to facilitate the management of water quality from a water resource perspective. The objective of the Series is to facilitate the integration of the source and resource directed management approaches in a uniform and structured manner