Vaal Dam hit critical levels amid covid-19 while IVRS takes knock
Eleven of the fourteen dams within the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) have declined this week, with the critical Vaal dam hitting a three year low amid the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The drop in the levels of the Integrated Vaal River System has prompted the Department of Water and Sanitation to call on both businesses and households to intensify efforts to save water as much as possible.
Demonstrably impacted by a significant number of falling dams, the system declined from 66.6% it recorded last week to 66.1% currently. This is comparatively lower than the 73.0% at which the system stood during the same week in the preceding year.
A critical dam within the system, the Vaal dam continued to sink to even lesser levels this week, moving to 48.1% from last week’s 48.9%. Evidently the dam has been taking a knock week-on-week over the past few months as it floated at 69.9% last year at the same week.
Despite a drop in levels this week, the Grootdraai dam remains resiliently stronger at 85.7% after a fall from last week’s 86.7%. The dam has been able to weather the storms, recording an increase from 73.5% at the same time last year.
The levels of the Sterkfontein dam, a reserve dam located in the Free State, fell slightly lower from 93.7% last week to 93.6% this week, and are up from the recorded levels of 93.1% during the comparative period last year.
A strain is continuing to take its toll on Katse and Mohale dams as they continue to drop further this week.
The Mohale dam, the upper-most dam in the system recorded an all-time low. It dropped from 12.9% last week to 12.1%, and this is far off from the still poor 33.4% it saw in the same week last year.
The second highest dam in the system, the Katse is increasingly becoming shallow. The dam slightly dropped from 36.3% last week to 36.1% this week. However these current levels are higher than levels of 31.4% it was at the same time last year.
The Bloemhof dam has remained unchanged for a second successive week, having stood at 99.1% last week. In the preceding year at the same week the dam was at 102.2%.
The Department of Water and Sanitation appeals for heightened reduction in the manner water is used, adding that excessive use of water could negatively affect the call for communities to wash hands with water and soap regularly. This is to prevent rapid spread of the Coronavirus.
Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
Hosia Sithole
Cell: 082 723 2442
