**4. Methods**

The data used in this study was collected in the Umgeni River Catchment in the year 2013 as part of a larger research program. It focused on water users in the basin who are individual farmers (commercial and small scale), industrial companies and forestry companies in the study area such that the unit of analysis was the individual and corporate water user. According to the National Water Act of 1998, all users of water in a specified area including individuals (farmers, smallholders, landowners or lessees), communities, companies or businesses, water users associations and water service providers are regarded as 'water users' [82] and are required by law to obtain a licence to use the water. The Umgeni River catchment has the population of about 1.6 Million with total urban population at 74% and 26% rural population [83]. This population encompasses a total of 368,250 households. According to the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), the area has higher per capita income as compared to other areas within the province reaching as high as R15,100 while the average lies around R11,000.

A probability sampling technique was utilised in order to determine the respondents that made up the required sample from the population of registered water users in the river catchment. This was deemed appropriate because this would validate the generalisation that can be made from the sample about the population [84] and every member of population had equal possibility of being part of the sample. The sampling technique used here enabled the study to imply the results that emanated from the sampled water users to the rest of the users within the Umgeni River Catchment area.

Questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 351 out of 818 users that was drawn from an extensive database of registered water users in the study area referred to as the Quaternary catchment U provided by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA). Out of this sample, 146 water users returned the questionnaires. This sample size was calculated using the online sample size calculator [85] at 95% Confidence Level and 6% margin of error or Confidence Interval. The Online Sample Calculator is a tool used for determining sample size in survey research developed by the Creative Research System group of America. The tool uses the target population, Confidence Interval and Confidence Level to determine appropriate sample size for survey research.

The collected data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 20. Four hypotheses were developed to facilitate the investigation of relationships between property rights attributes and intentions by water users to conserve water.
