Section 3, No. 5 National Water Resources Management Agency Act 2017No. 5 National Water Resources Management Agency Act 2017

(1) The property in and control of all water resources isvested in the Government and people of Sierra Leone. (2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Act or any other enactment, no person shall: (a) divert, dam, store, dredge, abstract or use water resources; or (b) construct or maintain any works for the use of water resources, except in acordance with the provisions of this Act. (3) Notwithstanding the provision in subsection (2) a person may, without a permit: 6 7 Use of water resources. No. 5 National Water Resources Management Agency Act 2017No. 5 National Water Resources Management Agency Act 2017 (a) take water from a water course to which the public has free access for the purpose of reasonable domestic use or for watering domestic livestock; (b) use water for the purposes of subsistence fishing or for navigation to the extent that such use is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or any other existing law; (c) where a statutory or customary right of occupancy to any land exists, take or use water without charge from the underground water source or if abutting the bank of any watercourse, from that watercourse for reasonable domestic use, watering livestock and for personal irrigation and not for commercial purpose. (4) A person may continue with an existing lawful water use, including customary use, in accordance with the exempted water use section of this Act.