Registered EAP | EAPASA No. 2025/19847 | 15+ Years Experience | Cape Town & South Africa
ECO Report provides practical regulatory support for developers, contractors and industrial site operators who need to meet waste and water compliance obligations under South African law. Our work covers waste management licence applications, statutory audits, contaminated land assessment and water use licensing — supported by a registered EAP with over 15 years of experience in the Western Cape and nationally.
A Waste Management Licence (WML) is required under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (NEM:WA) for facilities that store, treat, process or dispose of waste above specified thresholds. This includes construction sites generating waste, storage and sorting facilities, transfer stations, and light industrial operations.
We assist clients with new WML applications and Part 2 amendment applications for existing licences — managing the submission process, coordinating specialist inputs and maintaining communication with the relevant authority through to decision.
South African waste legislation sets out Norms and Standards that regulated facilities must meet. A statutory compliance audit assesses your operation against these requirements, identifies non-compliances and produces a structured report that can be used to demonstrate due diligence to regulators or to support a licence application.
We conduct pre-application audits for facilities preparing to apply for a WML, as well as periodic compliance audits for operational sites that need to demonstrate ongoing regulatory compliance.
If your site has a history of industrial activity or waste handling, a contaminated land assessment may be required as part of an environmental authorisation process or property transaction. We provide assessment support and can coordinate remediation planning in line with the requirements of NEM:WA and the National Environmental Management Act.
This service is particularly relevant for brownfield developments, site acquisitions involving industrial properties, and any project where historical land use raises potential liability questions.
A Water Use Licence (WUL) or General Authorisation is required under the National Water Act, 1998 for activities that affect water resources. The most commonly triggered sections for development and construction projects are Section 21(c) (impeding or diverting flow), Section 21(i) (altering the bed or banks of a watercourse) and Section 21(g) (disposing of waste in a manner that may impact a water resource).
WULA processing times can range from 12 to 36 months. We advise clients on whether their project triggers a WULA, assist with General Authorisation submissions where applicable, and prepare and manage full WULA applications where required — with a strong emphasis on starting the process early enough to avoid delays to project timelines.
Our waste and water regulatory support is used by developers and project managers dealing with waste on development sites, light industrial and operational site operators, contractors managing construction waste, and landowners or buyers conducting environmental due diligence on industrial properties.
We work across Cape Town, the Western Cape and nationally.
Not sure whether your project triggers a waste or water licensing requirement? Get in touch we can advise quickly on what applies and what the process looks like.