The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) urges all residents in Mpumalanga to continue using water wisely and sparingly, following a slight decline in dam levels across the province. Despite overall levels remaining relatively high, the Department emphasizes the importance of ongoing conservation to ensure water security for all communities.
According to the latest State of Reservoirs report released this week, the average dam levels in Mpumalanga have dropped slightly from 99.8% to 99.7%. In the province’s Water Management Areas (WMAs), the Limpopo-Olifants WMA remained stable at 94.9%, while the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA experienced a minor decrease from 99.3% to 99.1%.
Among the districts, Nkangala was the only one to record an increase, rising from 100.5% to 100.8%. Ehlanzeni saw a decrease from 97.6% to 97.4%, while Gert Sibande declined from 100.7% to 100.4%.
In the Ehlanzeni District and the Lowveld region, water levels in several key dams remained stable. Inyaka Dam was the only one to show a slight improvement, increasing from 99.4% to 99.5%.
Dams which remained unchanged in water levels include:
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Blyderivierpoort at 100.2%
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Buffelskloof at 100.3%
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Witklip at 100.2%
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Ohrigstad at 78.3%
Dams that recorded declines include:
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Driekoppies: 94.7% to 94.5%
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Longmere: 100.7% to 98.9%
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Klipkopjes: 100.2% to 100.0%
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Primkop: 100.4% to 100.2%
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Kwena: 100.5% to 100.4%
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Da Gama: 100.3% to 99.8%
In the Gert Sibande District, most dams showed slight drops:
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Nooitgedacht remained at 100.4%
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Morgenstond remained at 100.1%
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Grootdraai: 101.1% to 100.5%
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Vygeboom: 100.4% to 100.3%
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Jericho: 102.1% to 101.4%
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Westoe: 97.6% to 96.6%
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Heyshope: 100.8% to 100.5%
In the Nkangala District:
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Witbank Dam rose from 100.4% to 102.5%
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Middelburg Dam increased from 97.2% to 97.7%
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Loskop Dam dropped from 100.9% to 100.8%
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Mkhombo Dam (Rhenosterkop) dropped from 100.7% to 100.5%
The Department reiterates that despite these mostly favourable dam levels, South Africa remains a water-scarce country, and complacency could jeopardise future supply. Citizens are strongly encouraged to conserve water by fixing leaks, avoiding wasteful practices, and promptly reporting damaged infrastructure. Every effort, no matter how small, contributes to safeguarding our water resources for future generations.
Enquiries:
Dr Mandla Mathebula
Cell: 083 235 8675
E-mail: MathebulaM4@dws.gov.za
Themba Khoza
Cell: 066 301 6962
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