OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

The towns of Tzaneen and Giyani are the largest towns in the sub-catchment and form regional service centres
with the development of a few light industries associated with the agricultural activities in the area. Several
smaller settlements are located in rural areas or communal lands within the former homeland states of
Gazankulu, Lebowa and Venda.
5.8.1.4 Surface water users
The larger towns and their associated industrial activities receive domestic water supplies from nearby water
storage reservoirs. These water storage reservoirs also supply irrigation water to a number of irrigation boards
located in the upper and middle reaches of the Great and Middle Letaba rivers, as well as their larger tributaries.
Irrigation is by far the largest water user in this sub-catchment. The demand for water in this sub-catchment far
exceeds the available supplies and this sub-catchment is considered to be water stressed.
Most of the smaller towns and settlements in the sub-catchment rely on water supplied from small farm dams or
local boreholes. In some cases, the smaller settlements have to rely on run-of-river abstraction (when surface
water is available) or on hand-dug wells and boreholes.
5.8.1.5 Water management systems
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) are responsible for all aspects of water use and effluent
discharge in this sub-catchment. The responsibility for supply of irrigation water has been delegated to several
irrigation boards. These organizations are required to submit regular returns informing DWAF as to the quantity
of water delivered and any permits issued or cancelled.
The Department also regulates all large (> 150 m 3 /day) water abstractions, and monitors the quantity and
quality of all effluent discharges through a system of effluent discharge permits or licences. Each licensed
effluent discharger is required to carry out a routine monitoring programme of the flow and quality of their
effluent and supply this to DWAF. The Department then conducts random audits to check the veracity of the
effluent returns submitted by each discharger.
5.8.1.6 Human impacts on water resources (excluding mining)
The following activities can be expected to have an impact on water resources in the Great and Middle Letaba
sub-catchment:
• Small landfills and solid waste disposal sites at all towns;
• Disposal of liquid (domestic) effluent at all towns;
• Small volumes of runoff from the towns and urbanized areas;
• De-vegetation and other forms of veld degradation, leading to increased erosion and loads of suspended
sediments in most streams and rivers;
• Non-point domestic effluent from numerous small settlements and farms;
• Minor non-point impact from non-intensive commercial or subsistence agriculture;
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