Conserve more water as decline in Mpumalanga dam levels continue
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) would like to urge and encourage communities to continue and intensify their water conservation practices and initiatives as dam levels continue on a downward trend. With the lack of rain during this dry season, it is crucial that we all intensify our water conservation behavior and actions and play our role in the water security for the benefit of all.
Dam levels in the Mpumalanga province continue on a downward trend showing a steady decline in the volume of available water in the province. According to the DWS weekly state of reservoirs report of 14 August 2017, the average level of storage of dams in the Mpumalanga Province decreased from last week’s 76.8% to 75.8% as recorded this week. Event though, the situation looks better than last year when the level was standing at 56.1%, it is still crucial that we continue using water in a sparing and efficient manner.
All the major dams show a gradual and steady decline in water volumes. Driekoppies Dam decreased from 46.3% to 46.1%, Kwena Dam decreased from 78.5% to 77.8%, Witklip Dam decreased from 99/2% to 98.8%, Inyaka Dam decreased from 88.0% to 87.5%, Nooitgedacht Dam decreased from 88.8% to 88.6%, Vygeboom Dam decreased from 95.4% to 94.5%, Grootdraai Dam decreased from 83.3% to 82.7%,
Heyshope Dam decreased from 81.6% to 81.2%, Ohrigstad Dam decreased from 80.8% to 78.6%, Loskop Dam decreased from 99.3% to 98.9%, Middelburg Dam decreased from 66.8% to 66.4%. Witbank Dam remains unchanged at 100.1% as well as Da Gama Dam which remain unchanged at 82.1%. Jericho Dam recorded a slight increase from 68.8% to 69.2%.
It is now more important for the communities in the Mpumalanga Province, as well in the whole of this water scarce country to strengthen their water conservation efforts and initiatives to ensure that the available water is used efficiently until the rainfall, hopefully in the coming summer.
Let us make water conservation and efficient water use a habit and play our role in the water security of the country for our generation and future generations. Let us always remember that ours is a water scarce country and that water has no substitute.
