The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation is calling on stakeholders to provide input into the National Water Amendment Bill, which seeks to amend the National Water Act (1998).

Interested parties have until July 30 to submit written comments, which should include a clear indication of whether the Bill is supported or not and if the stakeholder wants to deliver an oral presentation to the committee.

The proposed amendments include ensuring equitable water allocation and optimising the use of water in support of the guiding principles of the National Water Act and prohibiting undesirable consequences of private water trading.

It also provides for the review period of the National Water Resource Strategy to be increased to ten years; the periodic review of the determination of the class of a water resource and water resource quality objectives; the periodic review of the reserve; for the reallocation of water; and further protection of water source areas and the transfer of water use authorisations.

Further amendments include repealing the right to declare an existing lawful water use; providing for additional controlled activities; further regulating the governance matters of water user associations and membership thereof; providing for the transformation of water user associations; and to provide for matters connected therewith.