The Minister of Water and Sanitation has, in terms of section 110(2)(a) of the NWA, declared that the installation of a Packaged Desalination Plant and the upgrade of the Thukela Goedertrouw Transfer Scheme by the DWS is to mitigate the impact of the water crisis in Richards Bay and is an emergency waterworks and therefore not subject to the approval of an environmental impact assessment before construction commences.