Vaal Dam drops to unprecedented levels this week
The Vaal Dam has declined further this week, reaching unprecedented lower levels that are the worst in as many years, as it continues to dramatically fall week-on-week.
This week, the dam fell from 39.6% last week to 38.8% this week. The dam hovered under the neutral 50% mark for a number of months now as shown by the levels of 61.3% at which it stood during the same week last year.
Similarly, the Grootdraai Dam recorded a fall to 79.4% this week after it dropped from 79.9% last week. Despite the fall, the present levels of the dam remain higher when compared to last year during the same time when they stood at 62.9%.
The levels of the Bloemhof Dam are above average this week at 96.5%. This is despite the decrease from last week’s levels of 98.2%. During the preceding year at the same time, the dam floated at 96.7%, showing that the dam has been in a healthy state for a number of months up until now.
In the Free State, the Sterkfontein Dam is stagnant this week, remaining at 93.9% for the second consecutive week. In the comparative period last year, it was equally strong at 92.2%.
The Mohale Dam in Lesotho is in a severely shrivelled state as it looks set to continue to remain in a concerning position. Presently, the dam stands at 6.2% following its fall from last week’s 6.7%. In the same week last year, the dam was at 33.1%.
Moving in the direction of the Mohale Dam is the Katse Dam, which is also in Lesotho. This week, the dam took a further knock from a lowly 28.7% last week to 27.7%. The dam persists hovering under the 50% mark and has not made any improvement from last year at the same time when it was at 18.2%.
Meanwhile, the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), which consists of 14 dams including the iconic Vaal Dam, has seen a drop this week. It fell from 61.8% last week to this week’s 60.8%. These present levels are lower compared to the 67.0% the dam reached in the same week last year.
The Department of Water and Sanitation wishes to thank water users for managing the water demand but calls on them to do even more to contain the rise in water consumption. The Department believes that water users’ compliance with appeals to not to use water excessively will help to avoid a potential crisis.
Furthermore, the Department encourages water users to make a marked improvement in turning the tide against water losses and desisting from watering gardens or using hosepipes to wash cars and cleaning paving. Thus, water users should work together with the Department to avoid the risk of water scarcity as South Africa is an arid country.
For more information contact:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
Hosia Sithole
Cell: 082 723 2442
