該雜志出版了水科學，技術，工程和政策的所有分支的參考，原創作品。這包括:水資源開發;水文循環;表面水文;地球水文學、水文學和水文氣象學;湖沼學;淡水和河口生態;鹽化;城市和工業用水及廢水的處理和管理;污泥的處理及處置;環境污染控制;環境和飲用水質量;飲用水處理;供水服務，包括家庭供水和衛生服務;農業用水;水產養殖對水資源的影響;水政策和治理;水經濟;水是一種社會公益。Water SA旨在為國際和南部非洲的讀者和作者服務。不具有廣泛國際利益的捐助必須對南部非洲作出具體的捐助(為此目的定義為包括南非、斯威士蘭、萊索托、納米比亞、博茨瓦納、津巴布韋和莫桑比克等國)。對南部非洲以外主要是當地感興趣的意見將不予考慮。投稿可以是論文、評論、簡短的交流、快速的交流、技術說明或對已發表論文的評論。論文是對課題的綜合貢獻，包括引言、實驗資料和結果討論。(不考慮使用眾所周知的技術的技術帳目，也不考慮不作為研究活動進行的工作結果的情況評估/觀察/抽樣報告。)《評論》是對作者在某一特定領域做出了顯著貢獻的最新和當前研究的權威、批判性描述。簡短的交流是對新發現和重要發現的簡明描述，將初步或有限的研究結果告知讀者。快速溝通是一種原創的貢獻，它值得迅速出版，以公布最新研究的發現，具有即時的意義。技術說明描述原始過程或技術，但不一定包括大量的數據、理論或關鍵評估。已經發表的論文的評論將被發送給論文作者進行回復，這些評論和作者的回復都將發表在即將出版的《Water SA》雜志上。優先考慮簡明扼要的貢獻。

This journal publishes refereed, original work in all branches of water science, technology, engineering and policy. This includes: water resource development; the hydrological cycle; surface hydrology; geohydrology, hydropedology and hydrometeorology; limnology; freshwater and estuarine ecology; salinisation; treatment and management of municipal and industrial water and wastewater; treatment and disposal of sewage sludge; environmental pollution control; environmental and drinking water quality; drinking water treatment; water services, including domestic water supply and sanitation services; agricultural water; aquaculture in terms of its impact on the water resource; water policy and governance; water economics; water as a social good. Water SA is intended to serve both international and Southern African readers and authors. Contributions which are not of broad international interest must make a specific contribution to Southern Africa (defined for this purpose to include the countries of South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique). Submissions of predominantly local interest outside of Southern Africa will not be considered.Contributions may take the form of a paper, a critical review, a short communication, a rapid communication, a technical note or comments on papers already published. A paper is a comprehensive contribution to the subject, including introduction, experimental information and discussion of results. (Technical accounts involving application of well-known techniques, and situation assessment/observation/sampling papers reporting results of work not carried out as a research activity, cannot be considered.) A review is an authoritative, critical account of recent and current research in a specific field to which the author has made notable contributions. A short communication is a concise account of new and significant findings to inform readers of preliminary or limited research results. A rapid communication is an original contribution which merits prompt publication to publicise the findings of very recent research with immediate significance. A technical note describes an original process or technique without necessarily including extensive data, theory or critical evaluation. Comments on papers already published are sent to the authors of the paper for reply and both the comments and the authors’ reply will be published in the upcoming issue of Water SA. Preference is given to concise contributions.