GWD Eastern Cape presents: 

 Presentations start at 16:30

The Proposed Regulations of Unconventional Gas Activities and the Fracking Fundamentals that every Hydrogeologist should know by Neville Paxton

• Intro of the evening talks
• The proposed UGA regulations and technical terms that Hydrogeologists should know and understand
• Intro of the next two speakers and their value in the WULA chain.

Bridging the Gap between the Technical and Legal Aspects of a WUL by Adriaan Groenewald

• The draft regulations on Water use applications- progress and outlook;
• The importance of a proper understanding of groundwater in the context of existing lawful water uses under the 1956 Water Act;
• The need for subterranean groundwater user associations;
• The increasing demand for the use of groundwater found on farms as resource for the general public residing in towns.

Some of the challenges by Uys Louw

• Our experience of the rejection of surface water license abstractions; DWS willingness to license groundwater
• Section 21 (c) and (i) water uses and their relationship with borehole abstractions;
• Boreholes in the proximity of wetlands and watercourses;
• The rejection of borehole licenses due to Quaternary catchments being “in deficit”. DWS understanding of unique groundwater resource units.
• Capacity of the DWS to monitor and enforce license conditions;
• Holistic water management (taking into consideration resource protection and needs of a water user). Not sacrificing the one for the other.
• Bureaucracy v Pragmatism in license application requirements; the rejection of applications based on technical requirements; No uniformity across CMA’s

 Mixer -Snacks and drinks from 19:00/19:30