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The Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly status of dams indicate that the country’s water levels are continuously increasing when compared to the same period last week. This week, the overall storage capacity of the country’s water level sits at 93.4%, a small-scale increase from last week’s 93.3%, and a noteworthy improvement from last year’s 83.4%.
Water Supply Systems that have somewhat improved are: Algoa with dams in Nelson Mandela Bay increasing from 14.5% to 14.7%, Amathole gaining from 76.1% to 76.3%, Bloemfontein increased from 99.3% to 99.8%, Cape Town Water Supply System expanded from 73.8% to 74.2%, Klipplaat moved up from 100.1% to 100.2%, while Luvuvhu faintly increased from 101.1% to 101.2.and Polokwane expanded from 101.7% to 102.0%.
The following Water Supply Systems have recorded downward movements: Umgeni declined from 99.8% to 99.6%, Polokwane decreased from 102.0% to 101.6%, UMhlathuze dropped from 100.2% to 100.1% and Luvuvhu experienced a slight reduction from 101.2% to 101.1%.
Water Supply Systems that are steady and unmoved week on week are: Crocodile West at 99.9%, Integrated Vaal River System is sitting at 100.6% and Orange sits at 99.5%.
A total of four (04) out of nine (09) provinces have recorded downwards movements in water levels namely, KwaZulu-Natal slightly dropped from 90.2% to 90.1%, Limpopo reduced from 88.7% to 88.3%, Mpumalanga marginally diminished from 95.3% to 95.2% and North West declined from 81.5% to 81.2%.
On the improvement mode is Western Cape which increased from 60.7% to 61.6%, Northern Cape is up from 108.8% to 110.7%, Free State moved up from 100.8% to 101.0%, Eastern Cape marginally increased from 69.8% to 69.9%, Northern Cape has risen from 108.2% to 108.8%, and Gauteng is unmoved at 100.5%.
Mpumalanga’s Jericho Dam is sitting at 100.0% dropping from 100.2%, Nooitgedacht Dam which is part of the IVRS supplied by Komati River is at the same level with that of last week at 100.4% and Kwena Dam which is part of Crocodile East Water Supply System dropped slightly from 100.3% to 100.2%.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Albert Falls Dam which is part of Umgeni Water Supply System declined from 98.7% to 98.4%, Midmar Dam which is also part of Umgeni WSS also decreased moderately from 98.8% last week to 98.3% this week, while Woodstock which is supplied by Tugela River and falls under IVRS is unmoved at 100.6%.
Groendal Dam which is part of Algoa Water Supply System in the Eastern Cape continues to be critically low at 21.2% moving further low from last week’s 21.3%, Kouga Dam which is situated in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan currently experiencing water supply challenges sits at a critically low 16.2%, Nahoon Dam which forms part of Amathole Water Supply System has decreased from 94.7% to 94.5% this week.
Western Cape has been experiencing considerable amount of rainfall recently hence dams such as Theewaterskloof increased from 75.2% last week to 75.6%, Berg River increased somewhat from 84.1% to 84.2%. On the downward movement in as far as Western Cape is concerned is Kammanassie which is alarmingly low at 5.1%, and Northern Cape’s Karee Dam sits at 28.6%.
Vaal Dam which is part of the IVRS has decreased from 104.8% to 104.5%, Gariep Dam which is part of Orange River Water Supply System has recorded a minor decrease from 99.5% to 99.3%, Vanderkloof Dam also moved up from 99.6% to 99.9%.
North West’s Hartbeespoort Dam in Crocodile West Water Supply System decreased from 99.2% to 99.1%, Roodekopjes increased from 104.2% to 105.0%. Vaalkop Dam dipped from 91.9% to 90.9% and Roodeplaat Dam which is the component of Crocodile West supplied by Pienaars River has moved down from 100.6% to 100.5%.
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 decreased moderately from 102.6% to 102.1% and Nandoni Dam in the far north of Limpopo recorded a minor drop from 101.5% to 101.4%.
Although there is a slight improvement in the country’s dam levels, the Department of Water and Sanitation is persisting to encourage 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.
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