Water Allocation Plan for Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area

The Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency is embarking on a process to develop Water Allocation Plan for the Water Management Area (WMA). A water allocation plan is a legal document that sets out the rules for managing the take and use of prescribed water resources to ensure they are used sustainably. Water allocation plans are developed in consultation with community members.

A water allocation plan ensures the needs of the environment are taken into account when determining how much water is made available to be taken and used for other purposes. Water allocation plans set out the amount of water available for use, how that water may be allocated to water users, rules around transfer of water, and the types of activities permitted with that water.

Once a water allocation plan is in place, water users can apply for a water licence, transfer water between users and a range of other activities subject to the rules and limits of the water allocation plan. A water licence provides an ongoing right to take water from the resource.