Food and beverage companies in South Africa may be unaware of a looming 30 June 2025 deadline for compliance with Regulation 3630 of the National Water Act. By this date, all private companies and municipalities operating water and wastewater treatment facilities must have a Professional Process Controller registered with the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA).
This regulation, which came into effect in 2023, grants businesses 24 months to ensure compliance. Failure to meet the deadline could lead to severe penalties, including fines, shutdowns of water treatment operations, and potential civil or criminal liability for environmental and health violations.
Avoiding non-compliance risks
Companies still needing to comply must urgently budget for training and registration of qualified supervisors to avoid the risk of non-compliance. Taking immediate action to meet this deadline is critical to ensuring ongoing operations and regulatory adherence.
“The requirements under Regulation 3630 addresses the increasing complexity of water purification, and the understanding that water and wastewater processes need to be monitored, even if they are to some extent automated,” explains Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA).
The role of HR
Compliance with the regulation is not only a technical or operational issue, but also a staff qualifications and employment compliance matter. The responsibility to register the relevant individual therefore lies with HR departments, compliance officers, operations managers, facilities or environmental managers, and in smaller firms with the general manager or executive who oversees multiple functions, Dr Goldman explains.
Regulation 3630 mandates that water and wastewater treatment plants in South Africa must have a senior, professionally registered process controller as their supervisor. This means that a Professional Process Controller registered with the Water Institute of Southern Africa WISA – not an engineer or scientist – must be the supervisor at the treatment plant. Class V and Class VI Process Controllers (known as Senior Process Controllers) must also be registered with WISA as Professional Process Controllers.
Process Controllers who are registered with WISA are bound by the association’s code of conduct and have access to continuous professional development to uphold their professional status. The association also provides guidance and support to new entrants into this field to strengthen the pipeline of scarce and critical skills in South Africa’s water sector.
Acknowledging the existing compliance burden on companies, Dr Goldman softens the additional blow: “Companies who comply with the regulation are – by virtue of their compliance – also making a crucial investment in the water security of South Africa.”
More information on Regulation 3630 of the National Water Act and related compliance matters are available at https://wisa.org.za/regulation-3630/
