The Zambian government has taken steps to regulate the use of underground water. Credible sources in the Water Authority Management Agency (WARMA) have said that these have been taken to alleviate the threat to the nation’s water security.

The legislation will be implemented in the form of a Statutory Instrument (SI). It has far-reaching implications for the building of dams and drilling of boreholes for domestic and commercial purposes.

The process of legislating the use of underground water was apparently at an advanced stage. It was likely to be in place early in 2017.

“In its totality the SI will expand the regulatory role of WARMA to include underground water as a way of reducing the threat to the nation’s water security. Currently WARMA only regulates above surface water,” on of the sources said.

CALL FOR URGENT STEPS

A fortnight ago WARMA had issued a warning that the nation’s water security was under threat with most of the rivers and dams drying up.

“The incidences of drying dams, broken river flows and reduced ground water recharge and dry taps are not an artist impression of how things will look like in the event of climate change, it is a glaring reality,” Dr Stephen Kapotwe had warned in a statement.

He had called for urgent steps to overcome the current situation to foster the nation’s water security.

The water regulator had also observed that the threat to the nation’s water security was exacerbated by the illegal practice of diverting the flow of rivers.