Mpumalanga water levels continue to drop but holding steady above 90%
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s latest State of Reservoirs report shows that, although water levels in Mpumalanga are slowly declining, they remain comfortably above 90% and higher than this time last year.
According to the report, the Mpumalanga average dam levels dropped from 94.6% to 94.1%, which is higher than the 84.1% recorded last year. Water levels also dropped in the Water Management Areas (WMA), with the Limpopo-Olifants WMA dropping from 89.6% to 88.6%, which is higher than last year’s 73.6%, and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA decreasing from 93.4% to 92.9%, which is better than last year’s 86.9%.
Water levels also dropped at district level with Ehlanzeni decreasing from 88.1% to 86.7%, which is greater than last year’s 83.7%. Gert Sibande dropped from 96.2% to 96.1%, which is higher than the 82.7% recorded last year, and Nkangala recorded a decrease from 98.0% to 97.5%, which is higher than the 86.9% recorded at the same time last year.
Most listed dams in the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni District recorded declines in water levels apart from Klipkopjes Dam, which recorded an improvement from 82.9% to 83.3%. On the decline mode, Blyderivierpoort Dam dropped from 85.5% to 83.4%, Buffelskloof Dam from 98.4% to 92.9%, Driekoppies Dam from 87.8% to 87.2%, Longmere Dam from 85.4% to 79.6%, Witklip Dam from 89.1% to 87.7%, Primkop Dam from 73.6% to 71.7%, Kwena Dam from 87.5% to 84.8%, Da Gama Dam from 88.7% to 87.7%, Inyaka Dam from 93.9% to 93.6%, and Ohrigstad Dam from 59.6% to 56.5%.
Meanwhile, it was a mixed pot in the Gert Sibande District with Heyshope Dam remaining unchanged at 100.3%. Jericho and Morgenstond dams recorded some improvements, increasing from 90.5% to 90.8% respectively. The rest of the dams saw a drop in water volumes with Grootdraai Dam decreasing from 95.4% to 95.1%, Nooitgedacht Dam from 94.0% to 93.6%, Vygeboom Dam from 98.2% to 98.0%, and Westoe Dam from 70.0% to 68.8%.
The majority of the listed dams in the Nkangala District recorded declines in water levels except for Rhenosterkop / Mkhombo Dam, which remained unchanged at last week’s 98.2%. The dams which dropped in water levels include Witbank Dam dropping from 98.2% to 98.1%, Middelburg Dam from 91.4% to 89.7%, and Loskop Dam from 98.7% to 98.1%.
The Department urges residents to continue using the available water wisely. Water conservation remains key to water security as water has no substitute. The Department encourages the public to harvest rainwater during rainy days and use it to ease pressure on municipal supply, helping to secure a sustainable water supply for both current and future generations.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson: Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
Themba Khoza
Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 066 301 6962
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