Mpumalanga dam levels continue to drop
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) encourages the public to continue using water wisely and sparingly as water levels continue to drop in the Mpumalanga Province.
The latest DWS weekly state of reservoirs report of 11 December 2023 shows that average dam levels in the Mpumalanga Province dropped from 90.6% to 90.4%. The Water Management Areas (WMA) recorded mixed results, with the Olifants WMA dropping from 83.5% to 82.8% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA recorded an increase from 91.1% to 91.6%.
In terms of water levels per district in the Mpumalanga Province, Gert Sibande is the only district that recorded an improvement in water levels, increasing from 87.4% to 87.8%. The other remaining two districts, Ehlanzeni and Nkangala recorded declines in water levels, dropping from 90.7% to 90.4% and 95.8% to 94.8% respectively.
The listed dams in Ehlanzeni District and the Lowveld recorded mixed results with some dams recording declines and others recording slight improvements in water levels. The listed dams that recorded improvements include Driekoppies Dam increasing from 96.3% to 96.4%, Klipkopjes from 91.9% to 94.7%, Witklip from 99.5% to 100.4%, Primkop from 97.2% to 100.4% and Da Gama from 92.8% to 94.6%.
Dropping in water levels, Blyderivierpoort Dam dropped from 84.5% to 84.1%, Buffelskloof from 85.5% to 84.1%, Longmere from 98.9% to 96.9%, Kwena from 82.2% to 80.8%, Inyaka from 95.8% to 95.6% and Ohrigstad from 51.5% to 49.7%.
The Gert Sibande District also recorded mixed results in dam levels. On the improvement side, Vygeboom Dam increased from 100.6% to 100.7%, Jericho from 77.6% to 78.9%, and Heyshope from 97.4% to 99.2%.
On the decline, Grootdraai Dam dropped from 80.4% to 79.6%, Nooitgedacht from 82.8% to 82.5%, Westoe from 38.4% to 37.6% and Morgenstond from 95.4% to 95.1%.
Most of the listed dams in the Nkangala District recorded declines in water levels with the exception of Middelburg Dam which recorded a slight increase from 90.0% to 90.2%.
On the downside, Witbank Dam dropped from 97.0% to 95.8%, Loskop from 96.5% to 95.1%, and Rhenosterkop / Mkhombo from 95.5% to 95.0%.
DWS also reminds the public that South Africa is a water scarce country therefore water security is everybody’s business as water has no substitute.
For more information, contact Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 060 561 8935 or Themba Khoza on 066 301 6962
