The Department of Water and Sanitation's latest State of Reservoirs report indicates that while water levels continue to decline in listed dams and water management areas, they remain satisfactory and significantly higher than during the same period last year in Mpumalanga Province.
According to the report, the Mpumalanga average dam levels dropped from 96.7% to 96.0% which is higher than the 87.1% recorded last year. In the Water Management Areas (WMA), the Limpopo-Olifants WMA dropped from 91.8% to 91.2% which is better than the 76.5% recorded last year, and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA decreased from 95.4% to 94.7% which is higher than last year’s 88.3%.
At district level, Ehlanzeni dropped from 92.2% to 91.2% which is greater than last year’s 88.2%, Gert Sibande dropped from 97.7% to 97.0% which is higher than the 84.6% recorded last year, and Nkangala recorded a decrease from 99.3% to 98.9% which is higher than the 90.3% recorded at the same time last year.
It was a mixed pot in the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni District with Klipkopjes and Primkop dams recording some improvements in water levels, recording increases from 86.7% to 86.8% and 80.3% to 80.7% respectively. Buffelskloof and Driekoppies dams recorded unchanged levels at 100.1% and 90.2% respectively.
On the decline, Blyderivierpoort Dam dropped from 92.1% to 89.9%, Longmere Dam from 91.6% to 83.6%, Witklip Dam from 93.4% to 91.9%, Kwena Dam from 95.3% to 92.8%, Da Gama Dam from 92.3% to 90.9%, Inyaka Dam from 95.5% to 95.0%, and Ohrigstad Dam from 68.3% to 66.0%.
All the listed dams in Gert Sibande District recorded declines in water levels. Grootdraai Dam dropped from 98.6% to 97.5%, Nooitgedacht Dam from 97.9% to 96.4%, Vygeboom Dam from 99.4% to 98.9%, Jericho Dam from 92.5% to 91.7%, Westoe Dam from 75.8% to 73.8%, Morgenstond Dam from 99.7% to 99.4%, and Heyshope Dam from 99.8% to 99.7%.
Only Witbank Dam remained unchanged at 98.4% in the Nkangala District with the rest recording declines in water levels. Middelburg Dam dropped from 94.8% to 93.8%, Loskop Dam decreased from 100.3% to 99.9%, and Rhenosterkop / Mkhombo Dam dropped from 98.9% to 98.2%.
The Department urges residents to continue using the available water wisely and sparingly as South Africa remains a water-scarce country. The Department further encourages communities to strengthen water conservation efforts and prevent unnecessary losses of precious water as every drop counts, especially as water has no substitute.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
Themba Khoza
Cell: 066 301 6962
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