The clock has essentially been stopped on water use license (WUL) application timeframes, until South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown comes to an end.
According to Jacky Burke, principal scientist at SRK Consulting, the lockdown leading from the national state of disaster has meant that the Department of Water and Sanitation cannot work on applications submitted.
There are usually strict timeframes within which applicants must complete each stage of the licence application. The department has stated that applicants will be credited with the time lost due to the lockdown, so they will still have the time to complete the work required, says Jacky Burke.
