WATER RESOURCES PROTECTION POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION
RESOURCE DIRECTED MEASURES FOR PROTECTION OF
WATER RESOURCES
GROUNDWATER COMPONENT
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
South Africa
REPORT NUMBER: N/32/99
STATUS:
VERSION 1.0
DATE:
24 SEPTEMBER 1999
SENIOR AUTHOR:
Roger Parsons, Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater
Consultants
Published by
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Private Bag X313
Pretoria
0001
Republic of South Africa
Tel +27 (0)12 336 7500
ISBN X-XXXX-XXXX-X (Set)
ISBN X-XXXX-XXXX-X (Volume X)
Copyright reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without full acknowledgement
of the source
This document should be cited as:
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (1999). Resource Directed Measures for
Protection of Water Resources. Volume 6: Groundwater Component Version 1.0,
Pretoria.
Senior Editor:
Dr H M MacKay, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Produced by:
Institute for Water Quality Studies
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Private Bag X313
Pretoria 0001
This document is one of a series of 15 volumes comprising the set: Resource Directed
Measures for Protection of Water Resources.
Volume 1:
Resource Directed Measures - Summary of Policy (to be included in Version
1.1)
Volume 2:
Resource Directed Measures - Integrated Manual
Volume 3:
Resource Directed Measures - River Ecosystems
Volume 4:
Resource Directed Measures - Wetland Ecosystems
Volume 5:
Resource Directed Measures - Estuarine Ecosystems
Volume 6:
Resource Directed Measures - Groundwater Component
Volume 7:
Resource Directed Measures - Basic Human Needs (to be included in Version
1.1)
Volume 8:
Resource Directed Measures - Classification System for Water Resources
Volume 9:
Resource Directed Measures - Study Manager’s Manual (to be included in
Version 1.1)
Volume 10:
Resource Directed Measures - Implementation Strategy (to be included in
Version 1.1)
Volume 11:
Resource Directed Measures - Crocodile River Pilot Study 1998 (to be
included in Version 1.1)
Volume 12:
Resource Directed Measures - Pienaars River Pilot Study 1999 (to be
included in Version 1.1)
Volume 13:
Resource Directed Measures - Communication Strategy (to be included in
Version 1.1)
Volume 14:
Resource Directed Measures - Capacity Building Strategy (to be included in
Version 1.1)
Volume 15:
Resource Directed Measures - Project Management Summary (to be included
in Version 1.1)
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
RESOURCE DIRECTED MEASURES FOR PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES: GROUNDWATER
COMPONENT
Report Number:
N/32/99
Team Leader:
Roger Parsons
Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants
PO Box 2606
Somerset West 7129
rparsons@iafrica.com
Senior Author:
Roger Parsons, Parson and Associates
Editors:
Guy Pegram, Pula Strategic Resource Management
Heather MacKay, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Lizette Guest, Guest Environmental Management
Date:
24 September 1999
Version 1.0
M:\f_rdm_october\groundwater\version 1.0\gw_intro_version 1.0.doc
Editor’s notes:


Check for consistency of terminology Reserve/RDM
Should vegetation be included – See B3.8
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
i
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
Acknowledgements
The following persons and organisations are thanked for their contributions to this project.
PROJECT TEAM
Project Manager:
Dr H M MacKay, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Project Co-ordinator:
Mr D F Grobler, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Project Administration:
Ms O Shapo, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Ms C Nkwentsha, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Sub-Project Team Leaders:
Dr J B Adams, University of Port Elizabeth
Dr A Bath, Ninham Shand
Mr T Duma, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr A Duthie, Oryx Environmental
Ms S Fowkes, Metaplan
Ms T Greyling, Manyaka Greyling Meiring
Ms L Hill, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Ms M D Louw, IWR Environmental
Mr J N Rossouw, Ninham Shand
Mr D J Roux, Environmentek, CSIR
Mr R Parsons, Parsons & Associates
Ms C Thirion, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Ms B C Weston, Social and Ecological Services, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Groundwater Specialist Team:
Roger Parsons of Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants was appointed to lead the
groundwater component of the RDM development team. However, the Groundwater Component of the RDM
presented in this report was based on three distinct and independent studies (listed below). Though specific
acknowledgements are recorded in the individual project reports, contributions and support from the large
number of individuals and organizations who participated in the studies in various forms are gratefully
acknowledged. Support from the broader RDM development team is also acknowledged.
Desktop and Rapid Reserve Determination method
Senior author:
Mr Carel Haupt, WSM (Pty) Ltd
Project title:
Water Resources Situation Study – Ground Water Evaluation
Sponsor:
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Intermediate Reserve Determination method
Senior author:
Roger Parsons, Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants
Project title:
Intermediate Reserve Determination Method - A guide for quantifying the
groundwater component
Team members:
Mr Mike Smart, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Dr Yongxin Xu, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Reviewers:
Mr Carel Haupt, WSM (Pty) Ltd
Mr Phil Hobbs, VSA GeoConsultants
Sponsor:
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
ii
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
Comprehensive Reserve Determination Method
Chief author:
Mr Eberhard Braune, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Project title:
Comprehensive Determination of Water Resource Reserve – Groundwater
Component.
Research Team:
Dr Yongxin Xu, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Ms Ingrid van der Voort, CSIR
Mr Julian Conrad, CSIR
Ms Christine Colvin, CSIR
Dr David le Maitre, CSIR
Prof. Gerrit van Tonder, IGS
Prof Wen-Hsiang Chiang, IGS
Mr Kevin Pietersen, WRC
Sponsor:
Water Research Commission
RDM STEERING COMMITTEE
Dr H R van Vliet (Chair), Chief Director: Scientific Services, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr E Braune, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr G Cowan, Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism
Mr H Karodia, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr K Legge, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr G McConkey, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Dr S Mitchell, Water Research Commission
Mr E Nel, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr W S Rowlston, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr P van Niekerk, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr J van Rooyen, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr P Viljoen, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Mr M Warren, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
EDITING TEAM
Dr H MacKay, Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Ms L Guest, Guest Environmental Management
Dr G Pegram, Pula Strategic Resource Management
Ms M de Lange, Socio Technical Interfacing
Editor’s note:
There are several people who should be personally acknowledged, since without their support
and encouragement, this project would not have been possible. Henk van Vliet, friend and guide; Alison
Howman; Neels Kleynhans; Dirk Roux; Roger Parsons; Delana Louw; Jay O’Keeffe; Carolyn Palmer; Kader
Asmal; Francois Junod.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
iii
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
Preface
This set of documents on Resource Directed Measures (RDM) for protection of water resources, issued in
September 1999 in Version 1.0, presents the procedures to be followed in undertaking preliminary
determinations of the class, Reserve and resource quality objectives for water resources, as specified in
sections 14 and 17 of the South African National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998).
The development of procedures to determine RDM was initiated by the Department of Water Affairs and
Forestry in July 1997. Phase 3 of this project will end in March 2000. Additional refinement and development
of the procedures, and development of the full water resource classification system, will continue in Phase 4,
until such time as the detailed procedures and full classification system are ready for publication in the
Government Gazette.
It should be noted that until the final RDM procedures are published in the Gazette, and prescribed according to
section 12 of the National Water Act, all determinations of RDM, whether at the rapid, the intermediate or the
comprehensive level, will be considered to be preliminary determinations.
Version 1.0 of the RDM procedures is for internal use within the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. It is
a set of working documents which will be updated on a regular basis. This version retains editor’s comments in
certain places in the text.
Version 1.1 is expected to be finalised and published in December 1999, and will be released for public
comment and discussion.
All technical queries and comments related to Version 1.0 should be addressed to:
Dr H M MacKay
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Private Bag X313
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel +27 12 336 8222
Fax+27 12 336 8678
email deh@dwaf.pwv.gov.za
Previous Documents on the Groundwater Component
Parsons, R.P., (1998) A protocol to define the preliminary groundwater reserve; Discussion document prepared
for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants,
April 1998.
Parsons, R.P., (1998) Preliminary Reserve Assessment Procedure - A guide for assessing the groundwater
component; Draft specialist report prepared for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Parsons and
Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants, July 1998.
Parsons, R.P., (1998) Preliminary Ecological Reserve Method - A guide for quantifying the groundwater
component; Specialist report prepared for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Parsons and Associates
Specialist Groundwater Consultants, December 1998.
Parsons, R.P., (1999) Intermediate Reserve determination method – A guide for quantifying the groundwater
component – Beta version; Specialist groundwater report prepared for the Department of Water Affairs and
Forestry, Parsons and Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants, September 1999.
Braune, E., et al., (1999) Comprehensive Determination of Water Resources Reserve – Groundwater Component
– Zero version; report prepared for the Water Research Commission, Zero Version, August 1999.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
iv
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
Abbreviations
BHN
CMA
CRD
DRD
DWAF
GMA
GRU
HRU
ICM
IRD
IFR
mbc
mS/m
NGDB
NWA
PAV
PRD
PERM
RDM
RRD
SDM
SWR
WRSS
Basic human needs
Catchment Management Authority
Comprehensive Reserve determinations
Desktop Reserve Determination
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Groundwater management areas
Geohydrological response unit
Homogeneous response unit
Integrated Catchment Management
Intermediate Reserve Determination
Instream Flow Requirements
metres below collar
millisiemens per metre
National Groundwater Database
National Water Act
Permissible annual volumes
Preliminary Reserve determinations
Preliminary Ecological Reserve Method
Resource Directed Measures
Rapid Reserve Determination
Source Directed Measures
Significant Water Resource
Water Resource Situation Study
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
v
Resource Directed Measures for Protection of Water Resources: Groundwater Component
Table of Contents
Copyright reserved
Acknowledgements
Preface
Previous Documents on the Groundwater Component
Abbreviations
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
Version 1.0: 24 September 1999
vi