Mpumalanga water levels continue to decline
Water levels in the listed dams and catchment areas in the Mpumalanga Province continue to drop week after week. According to the latest Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report of 20 July 2020, the listed dams in the Mpumalanga Province dropped by an average 0.5% from last week’s 72.1% to 71.6%. This translates to 1818.3 cubic meters of water in storage out of the required full capacity of 2538.6 cubic meters and is better than the same period last year when the average water levels in the listed dams stood at 69.6%.
Water levels in the water management areas (WMA) also declined over the week, with the Olifants WMA dropping from 66.7% to 66.4% which is better than last year’s 58.4% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA dropping from 69.4% to 68.8% which is less than the 73.0% recorded at the same year.
The majority of the listed dams in the Ehlanzeni District recorded declines in water volumes, with only the Ohrigstad and Klipkopjes dams recording some slight improvements from 12.7% to 12.8% and 15.8% to 15.9% respectively. On the decline mode, Buffelskloof Dam dropped from 75.9% to 74.3%, Blyderivierpoort Dam dropped from 96.2% to 94.3%, Driekoppies Dam dropped from 73.9% to 73.7%, Longmere Dam dropped from 58.7% to 56.9%, Witklip Dam dropped from 75.3% to 74.2%, Primkop Dam dropped from 85.7% to 83.9%, Kwena Dam dropped from 58.0% to 57.2%, Inyaka Dam dropped from 54.7% to 54.0%. Da Gama Dam recorded unchanged levels at 55.8%.
In the Gert Sibande District, all the listed dams recorded drops in water volumes. Grootdraai Dam dropped from 82.8% to 82.4%, Nooitgedacht Dam dropped from 87.3% to 87.0%, Vygeboom Dam dropped from 96.9% to 95.7%, Jericho Dam dropped from 78.3% to 78.0%, Westoe Dam dropped from 42.4% to 40.7%, Morgenstond Dam dropped from 45.9% to 45.8% and Heyshope Dam dropped from 76.4% to 75.9%.
In the Nkangala District, Loskop Dam is the only listed dam that is still above 100% in the District and the Mpumalanga Province and recorded unchanged water volumes over the week at 100.1%. The rest of the listed dams in the Nkangala District recorded drops in water volumes with the Witbank Dam dropping from 98.1% to 97.6%, Middelburg Dam dropping from 92.3% to 91.7% and the critically low Rhenosterkop Dam dropping from 2.1% to 1.9%.
The Department of Water and Sanitation would like to commend water users and the public at large for being responsible water users and also encourage them to continue with their water conservation initiatives to ensure that the available water is enough to cater for everyone, especially as we continue to fight against the deadly coronavirus. The Mpumalanga Province, as most parts of the country, is in the dry winter season with limited or close to zero rainfall, therefore it is crucial for everyone to be a responsible water user for water security in this dry country of ours.
For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau:
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
082 874 2942 or
Themba Khoza
066 301 6962
