The Department of Water and Sanitation’s national weekly status of dams report published early this week demonstrate a slight improvement in water levels in some parts of the country. This week, the overall storage capacity of the country’s water level sits at 93.4%, a minor increment from last week’s 93.3%, and a notable enhancement from last year’s 85.2%.
Water Supply Systems that have experienced some improvements are; Algoa with dams in Nelson Mandela Bay increasing from 13.4% to 14.5%, Cape Town Water Supply System gaining from 72.5% to 73.8%, Crocodile West improved slightly from 99.6% to 99.9%, Luvuvhu faintly increased from 101.1% to 101.2%, Orange moved slightly up from 99.2% to 99.5%, and Polokwane expanded from 101.7% to 102.0%.
The following Water Supply Systems have recorded downward movements, Amathole declined from 76.3% to 76.1, %, Bloemfontein decreased from 99.8% to 99.3%, Butterworth dropped from 100.0% to 99.8%, Umgeni experienced a reduction from 100.3% to 100.0% and Integrated Vaal River System has slightly shrunk from 100.7% to 100.6%.
Water Supply Systems that are steady and unmoved week on week are; Crocodile East at 100.3% and Umhlathuze 100.2%. A total of three (03) out of nine (09) provinces have recorded downward movements in water levels namely, Gauteng slightly dropped from 100.8% to 100.5%, Eastern Cape reduced from 70.2% to 69.8%, and KwaZulu Natal diminished from 90.6% to 90.4%.
On the improvement mode is Western Cape which increased from 59.1% to 60.7%, this is attributed to the ongoing downpours experienced in the province recently, Free State moved up from 100.8% to 101.0%, Limpopo improved marginally from 88.4% to 88.7%, Northern Cape has risen from 108.2% to 108.8%, and North West also increased from 81.2% to 81.5%.
Mpumalanga is the only province that is still in the same level as last week, sitting at 95.3% capacity. Jericho Dam is sitting at 100.2%, Nooitgedacht Dam which is part of the IVRS supplied by Komati River has declined from 100.9% to 100.4% and Kwena Dam which is part of Crocodile East Water Supply System is unmoved at 100.3%.
KwaZulu Natal’s Albert Falls Dam which is part of Umgeni Water Supply System declined from 99.5% to 98.9%, Midmar Dam which is also part of Umgeni also decreased moderately from 99.6% last week to 99.0% this week, Woodstock which is supplied by Tugela River and falls under IVRS is unmoved at 101.1%.
Groendal Dam which is part of Algoa Water Supply System in the Eastern Cape is critically low at 21.3% moving further low from last week’s 21.5%, Kouga Dam which is situated in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan currently experiencing water supply challenges sits at a critically low 16.0%, Nahoom Dam which forms part of Amathole Water Supply System has decreased from 96.2% to 94.7% this week.
Thee Waterskloof shot up from 73.9% last week to 75.2%, Berg River increased from 82.2% to 84.1%, on the downward movements in as far as Western Cape is concerned is Kammanassie which is alarmingly low at 5.8%, and Northern Cape’s Karee Dam sits at 27.9%.
Vaal Dam which is part of the IVRS has decreased from 105.1% to 104.8%, Gariep Dam which is part of Orange River Water Supply System has recorded a minor improvement from 99.4% to 99.5%, Vanderkloof Dam also moved up from 98.8% to 99.6% and Karee Dam in the Northern Cape which was critically low at 9.3% has improved to 17.9%.
North West’s Hartbeespoort Dam in Crocodile West Water Supply System decreased from 99.4% to 99.2%, Roodekopjes increased from 103.1% to 104.2%. Vaalkop Dam stands at 91.9% and Roodeplat Dam which is the component of Crocodile West supplied by Pienaars River has moved up from 100.5% to 100.6%.
De Hoop Dam which is the biggest dam in Limpopo is steady and unchanged at 100.3%, Flag Boshielo Dam which is part of Polokwane Water Supply System has increased moderately from 102.2% to 102.6%, Nandoni Dam in the far north of Limpopo recorded a minor increase from 101.4% to 101.5% and Middel-Letaba is almost empty at 4.1% capacity.
The Department of Water and Sanitation is persisting to plead with water users to exercise caution when utilising the available water.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Water and Sanitation, Republic of South Africa.
