Register or Face Prosecution: The 90-Day Water Deadline Every Business Needs to Know About

On 24 April 2026, the Minister of Water and Sanitation published Government Notice 7408, requiring all unregistered water users to register within 90 days of publication, placing the deadline at approximately 23 July 2026. The notice carries criminal sanctions for non-compliance and affects a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, forestry, mining, industrial manufacturing and commercial operations reliant on water abstraction or stream flow reduction activities. It also arrives against the backdrop of the National Water Amendment Bill, 2026 (the Amendment Bill), which proposes far-reaching structural reforms, including the prohibition of private water trading, the introduction of a “use it or lose it” principle and expanded ministerial reallocation powers. This article is written by Garyn Rapson, Partner & Gwen Mathebula, Associate from law firm, Webber Wentzel.