The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) located in Mpumalanga asks the people to be more prudent when it comes to water usage and utilize the water that is available wisely because dam levels are dropping lower than 85% across the province.

The latest status report for the weekly the dam levels report reveals that the average level of dams decreased from 85.1 percent to 84.0 percentage. It also shows a drop within levels in the Water Management Areas (WMA) as well as the district. It also shows that the Olifants WMA dropped from 77.0 percent to 76.0 percent, while the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA decreased from 86.9 percentage to 85.9 percentage. For the district, Ehlanzeni dropped from 85.2 percentage to 83.6 percent, Gert Sibande from 83.4 percent to 82.6 percent and Nkangala between 87.7 percentage to 86.7 percent.

Longmere Dam in the Lowveld located in the Ehlanzeni District is the only dam listed that showed an increase, going by 76.6 percent to 81.9 percent. The other listed dams within the Mpumalanga Province showed declines in volume of water.

The dams listed that have showed declines within the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni District include Blyderivierpoort from 76.6 percent to 74.3 percent, Buffelskloof from 63.6% to 60.3 percent, Driekoppies from 92.7% to 91.6 percent, Klipkopjes from 83.6% to 80.1 percent, Witklip from 82.1% to 80.5 percent, Primkop from 44.9% to 40.6 percent, Kwena from 79.9% to 77.4 percent, Da Gama from 87.8 percentage to 87.3 percent, Inyaka between 88.7 percentage to 87.4 percent as well as Ohrigstad between 29.9 percent to 27.0 percent.

Each of the dams mentioned within the Gert Sibande District recorded drops in their water volume including Grootdraai falling from 76.0 percent to 75.0 percent, Nooitgedacht from 79.2% to 78.9 percent, Vygeboom from 96.9% to 95.8 percent, Jericho from 74.0% to 73.1 percent, Westoe from 36.0% to 35.9 percent, Morgenstond from 74.5% to 71.5 percent in addition to Heyshope between 97.2 percent to 97.0 percent.

This decrease continues throughout the Nkangala District with Witbank Dam falling from 91.0 percent to 90.2 percent, Middelburg Dam from 84.3% to 83.4 percent, Loskop Dam from 88.5 percent to 87.0 percent as well as Rhenosterkop Dam, which was 85.5 percent to 85.0 percent.

The Department warns the public South Africa is a water-scarce country. It urges citizens to avoid water loss through the repair and reporting of water leaks and using water in a moderate manner.

More information is available here:

Dr Mandla Mathebula

South African government

Sedibeng Building,

185 Francis Baard Street,

PRETORIA, South Africa

Tel: +27 83 235 8675

Tel: +27 800 200 200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gov.za

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