The Vaal Dam on the border of Gauteng and the Free State. Dams, pumps, canals and other structures used to move water around the country are falling further into disrepair Piture: Lisa Hnatowicz
- The Department of Water and Sanitation says the winter dry season continues to negatively affect the country’s water resources.
- The country’s dam levels, with the exception of the Western Cape, continue to drop.
- The Western Cape’s water levels have improved in recent weeks due to wet weather conditions.
The Department of Water and Sanitation says the country’s dam levels, with the exception of the Western Cape, continue to drop each week.
According to the department’s dam level report, the national water storage of the combined dams has declined to 69.3%.
“This means that the country has 22200.1 cubic metres of water in store, out of 32012.2 cubic metres full capacity,” spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said.
Ratau said the Western Cape’s water levels have improved in recent weeks due to the wet weather conditions.
“To this end, the Western Cape’s provincial water storage is at 41.3% this week from 40.2% last week.
“The Cape Town Water Supply System with six dams is floating at 58.4% this week from 57.9 last week.”
Provinces that are currently seeing a decline in dam levels include the drought-stricken Eastern Cape, which is currently on 53.4%.
READ | Good rainfall sees major rise in WC dam levels
Limpopo Province has also not improved – its water storage is currently 64.4%.
“Luvhuhu Water Supply System with three dams is at 97.3%, while Polokwane Water Supply System with two dams supplying water mainly to Polokwane is at 77.0%,” Ratau said.
Northern Cape dams have lowered to 95.0% compared to last week’s 96.4%, while the Free State experienced a slight decline with 82.7% from last week’s 82.9%.
Meanwhile, although the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) with 14 dams continues to decline, Gauteng dam levels have slightly improved to 99.6% from last week’s 98.1%.
“This week, the IVRS declined to 65.4% from 65.7% last week,” Ratau said.
“North West Province’s dam levels are steady this week. They are now at 70.3% this week compared to last week’s 70.0%.
“The Crocodile Water Supply System with seven dams improved slightly, from 98.5% last week to 99.4% this week.”
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Mpumalanga is currently at 73.4% this week from last week’s 73.5%, while KwaZulu-Natal declined to 61.1% this week from 61.5% last week.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to roll out water tanks to water stressed areas and schools across the country as an immediate relief to water challenges,” he said.
“Water users are reminded that South Africa is still a water scarce country, therefore water saving measures need to be heightened.”
The department has advised that leaving a tap running while washing hands is a waste.
– Compiled by Jeanette Chabalala
