Update on Water Storage in Northern Cape
The weekly state of reservoirs report of the Department of Water and Sanitation for this week, indicates an increase in water storage in the Northern Cape from last week’s 105.8% to 108.8% this week.
The Integrated Vaal River system is at an average of 101,0%, a slight drop week-on-week from 101,9% previously.
Water storage weirs in the Vaal River System in the Northern Cape indicate that the VaalHarts storage weir is at 85.5% with the Spitskop weir at 101.8%.
On the border of the Free State and Northern Cape provinces is the Vanderkloof Dam, which is currently at 99% full and spilling into the Orange River System in the Northern Cape at 364.M3/s. The Orange River System is at 99.1% full.
Water gauging stations in the Orange River System indicate water levels in metres as follows: Marksdrift is at a height of 1.139 metres, Katlani which is just below the Vaal and Orange River confluence is at 1.848 metres. At the Prieska gauging station, the Orange River system is at a height of 1.876 metres, and Upington at 4.920 metres. The Blouputs gauging station just below the Augrabies Waterfalls is currently at 1.354 metres.
The Douglas Storage Weir is at 116.8% full, Boegoeberg is at 184%, and the Karee Dam has increased from last week’s 9.3% to 17.9% this week.
Take note that the Karee Dam is the only storage dam in the Northern Cape, the others are water balancing dams/weirs, designed to act as a multi-purpose facilities. Commonly, these balancing dams or storage weirs serve as distribution points from where water is diverted into pipelines, canals or power generating turbines or pump stations.
Water levels in the Vaal and Orange River Systems will differ depending on the width and depth of a particular river.
The Department of Water and Sanitation urges all citizenry, industry, municipalities, and all water services authorities to implement water use efficiency methods.
For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942 or Amogelang Moholoeng on 082 653 1682
