National water levels record a minor downturn
Weekly status of national dam levels issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) demonstrate that water quantity has marginally declined, this is in comparison with last week’s amount. The overall storage capacity of the country’s water volume sits at 93.9% this week, a minimal drop from last week’s 94.0%.
The Water Supply Systems that are on the upward movements are the following; Amathole escalating slightly from 75.0% last week to 76.0% this week, Crocodile East ascended faintly from 100.2% to 100.6%, Cape Town rose from 64.0% to 64.7%, and it was also a good week for Orange Water Supply System moving up vaguely from 99.2% to 99.8%. Algoa remains very low at 12.4% week on week.
Water Supply Systems that have contracted include Bloemfontein dropping from 100.5% last week to 100.2% this week, Butterworth declined from 100.2% to 100.1%, Crocodile West decreased from 99.3% to 98.7%, Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) has reduced from 102.7% to 102.5%, Klipplaat lessened from 100.9% to 100.3%, Luvuvhu contracted from 101.7% last week to 101.3%, Umhlathuze record a minimal decline from 100.3% to 100.2%, Polokwane dropped from 102.9% to 102.5% and Umgeni also moved down from 103.7% to 101.9%.
A total of four of provinces have recorded improvements in water levels namely; Free State moved up slightly from 101.8% to 102.0%, Mpumalanga recorded a slim expansion from 95.4% last week to 95.5%, Northern Cape climbed up from 100.0% last week to 100.4% this week and Western Cape increased marginally from 51.6% last week to 51.9% this week.
Provinces that are on the downswing movements are Eastern Cape which dropped from 72.4% to 72.0%, Gauteng shrunk from 101.6% to 100.9%, KwaZulu Natal diminished from 92.9% to 92.0%, Limpopo declined from 89.1% to 88.8% and North West dropped from 81.3% to 81.1%.
North West’s Hartbeespoort Dam supplied by Crocodile West Water Supply System gained from 97.7% to 98.1% and Bospoort somewhat dropped from 102.6% to 102.4%. Roodeplat Dam which is the component of Crocodile West supplied by Pienaars River increased marginally from 100.7% to 100.8%, Vaalkop Dam dropped from 96.4% to 94.8%.
Vaal Dam which is part of the IVRS has slightly increased from 108.6% to 109.0%, Grootdraai Dam recorded a tiny upward movement from 101.5% to 101.6%. Gariep Dam which is part of Orange River Water Supply System has recorded an increase from 98.4% and 100.2%, Vanderkloof Dam has declined from 100.4% to 99.0%.
In the flood hit KwaZulu Natal, Albert Falls Dam, an integral part of the Umgeni Water Supply System which supplies water to eThekwini Metro and surrounding areas declined from 102.9% to 102.1%, Midmar Dam which is also part of Umgeni also decrease moderately from 102.0% last week to 100.6% this week, Woodstock which is supplied by Tugela River and falls under IVRS is unmoved at 101.7%.
Groendal Dam which is part of Algoa Water Supply System in the Eastern Cape is critically low at 22.3% moving slightly up from last week’s 22.1%, Nahoom Dam which forms part of Amathole Water Supply System has decreased from 101.0% to 99.9% this week.
In the Western Cape, which is a combination of parts that experience rainfall in winter and those that receive rainfall during other seasons; Thee Waterskloof Dam which is part of Cape Town Water Supply System escalated from 66.9% last week to 67.0%, and Elandskloof Dam dropped from 30.2% to 30.0%.
De Hoop Dam which is the biggest dam in Limpopo moved down from 100.6% to 100.5%. Flag Boshielo Dam which is part of Polokwane Water Supply System has decreased from 103.8% to 103.3% and Nandoni Dam recorded a minor decrease from 102.1% to 101.6%.
In Mpumalanga, Nooitgedacht Dam which is part of the IVRS supplied by Komati River has soared from 97.4% to 100.8%, Kwena Dam which is part of Crocodile East Water Supply System is moderately up from 100.2% last week to 100.5% this week.
The Department of Water and Sanitation persists to plead with the public to utilise water sparingly and possibly harvest rainwater particularly now that winter has set in.
For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942
