South Africa is taking a landmark step to protect one of its most precious hidden treasures: the water beneath our feet. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has drafted the country’s first-ever national regulations dedicated to groundwater, aimed at safeguarding long-term water security while upholding every South African’s constitutional right of access to water.
The draft National Water Act Regulations on the Protection and Management of Groundwater Resources appeared in the Government Gazette on 10 December 2025, with public comment invited until 2 March – and South Africans responded in numbers.
Filling a 27-Year Gap
While the National Water Act of 1998 has long provided the overarching legal framework for managing the country’s water, there have never been regulations specifically for groundwater – the vast reserves stored in aquifers, the underground layers of water-bearing rock, gravel, sand and silt that sustain millions of people, particularly in rural areas and during dry seasons.
“The draft regulations were developed to strengthen the protection, management and sustainable utilisation of groundwater resources in South Africa. Groundwater plays a critical role in the country’s water security, particularly in rural areas and during periods of drought,” DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa explained.
The new rules aim to introduce clearer standards, better monitoring and stronger accountability. Among the practical innovations is the registration of geosites – boreholes – for all existing and new groundwater users, along with the systematic capturing of borehole drilling and geohydrological information, giving the country a far richer picture of its underground water wealth.
Uniform Standards for Every Borehole
Until now, borehole drilling standards have varied across the country, guided by industry best practice and a patchwork of municipal by-laws. The proposed regulations introduce a uniform national framework that will ensure minimum construction standards and protect aquifers from contamination and overexploitation.
Municipalities will also be asked to step up: each will develop a groundwater protection scheme within five years of the regulations being promulgated, bringing consistent, proactive stewardship to a resource that has often been managed differently from one town to the next.
Mavasa noted that South Africa has already made significant progress in water resource management through the National Water Act and various national strategies, and said the department is now processing the many public comments received. Relevant input will be incorporated before the final regulations are gazetted for implementation.
A Human Right, 30 Years On
The timing is fitting. This year South Africa commemorates the 30th anniversary of its Constitution, which recognises access to sufficient water as a human right.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation remains committed to ensuring that all South Africans have access to safe and reliable water services,” Mavasa said.
As more households turn to boreholes and climate patterns shift, groundwater is set to become an ever more important part of South Africa’s water story. With these first-of-their-kind regulations, the country is making sure that story is one of careful stewardship – protecting today’s aquifers for generations still to come.
The draft regulations were reported by SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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