The re-alignment of departments, Department of Water Affairs and Department of Environmental Affairs under one Ministry, has had implications for the work of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs. This has resulted in one portfolio committee focusing on two different sectors, water and environment with approximately 22 entities to oversee. It is important for the committee to complete all the relevant annual reports of the two departments and 22 entities. The above process also translated to the committee's interrogation of the budget vote and strategic plans of 2 departments; and analysis of transfers to 22 entities and strategic and business plans of 22 entities. A number of pieces of legislation were reviewed by the committee in the period under review, and this entailed time-consuming deliberations of the members of this committee. The public demand on these two large departments in terms of service delivery is woefully huge and complex. The oversight function of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs on these two departments and their respective entities has increased, placing tremendous pressure, within limited timeframes on substantively dealing with issues in either sector. It is important for Parliament to reconsider creating two separate Portfolio Committees - one dealing exclusively with water and the other with environment.