Mpumalanga records slight improvements in dam levels
The recent rains have brought some slight improvement in water volumes in the listed dams of the Mpumalanga Province, especially in the Ehlanzeni District. According to the latest Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report of 12 October 2020, the average water levels in the listed dams in the Mpumalanga Province increased from 65.3% to 65.5% over the week. This means that there is currently 1663.8 cubic meters of water in storage out of the required 2538.6 cubic meters. The average dam levels are still better than the same period last year when the levels stood at 60.4%.
On the downside, the report shows that there is no improvement in the water management areas (WMA), with the Olifants WMA dropping from last week’s 60.6% to 60.3% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA remaining unchanged at 62.4%.
The DWS report also shows that there is no improvement even in the water management areas (WMA), with the Olifants WMA dropping from 61.2% to 60.6% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA dropping from 62.7% to 62.4%.
The majority of the listed dams in the Ehlanzeni District recorded improvements in water volumes with only the Longmere Dam recording a decline from 50.6% to 49.3% and the Ohrigstad Dam remaining unchanged at 9.1%. On the positive note, Blyderivierpoort Dam increased from 75.0% to 82.7%, Buffelskloof Dam from 52.5% to 54.7%, Driekoppies Dam from 71.2% to 72.0%, Klipkopjes Dam from 10.7% to 12.3%, Witklip Dam from 62.8% to 63.6%, Primkop Dam from 81.3% to 88.4%, Kwena Dam from 43.7% to 43.8%, Da Gama Dam from 48.8% to 50.7% and Inyaka Dam recorded an improvement from 49.3% to 50.8%.
In Gert Sibande District, the situation was a direct opposite to Ehlanzeni with only Nooitgedacht Dam recording a slight improvement from 81.8% to 81.9% and the Grootdraai and Westoe dams remaining unchanged at 76.1% and 30.3% respectively. On the declining mode, Vygeboom Dam dropped from 81.8% to 81.4%, Jericho Dam from 68.1% to 67.2%, Morgenstond Dam from 43.9% to 43.3% and the Heyshope Dam dropping from 70.3% to 69.7%.
In the Nkangala District, only Loskop Dam recorded some improvement, increasing from 93.3% to 94.0%. The rest of the listed dams recorded declines in water volumes, with Witbank Dam dropping from 91.6% to 91.1%, Middelburg Dam from 82.9% to 82.2% and the critically low Rhenosterkop Dam dropping from 1.3% to 0.9%.
DWS urges the public to be more conservative in their water use and use the available water more wisely and sparingly taking into consideration that South Africa is a water scarce and dry country receiving about half the world average in terms of rainfall. Let us always remember that every drop counts in our water stressed country.
For more information, contact:
Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 082 874 2942
Themba Khoza
Cell: 066 301 6962
