DWS warns the public to use water sparingly as the rainy season comes to an end
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) released its weekly report on dam levels and the dams have shown a decrease in the national water storage from 80. 9% last week to 80. 2% this week.
This decrease demonstrates that winter season is fast approaching and normal rainfalls will also subside. This therefore calls for everyone to put all the concerted efforts to use water wisely during this period in order to conserve the current water resources that we have until the next rainy season.
The provincial dam levels are as follows:
- Gauteng, stable at 100. 5%
- Free State, decrease from 98. 1% last week to 96. 8% this week
- North West, stable at 73. 4%
- Eastern Cape decreased from 68. 8% last week to 68. 7% this week
- Limpopo decreased from 77% last week to 76. 8% this week
- Northern Cape decreased from 94. 2% last week to 93% this week
- Mpumalanga, stable at 82. 5%
- KwaZulu-Natal, stable at 65. 3%
- Western Cape, stable at 16. 6
The Western Cape dam levels are of concern and remain low whilst in Eastern Cape, the Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay has urged residents to drop water use to 50 litres per person per day.
The Cape Town Supply System, with six dams serving the Metro is at 20. 4% a 0. 1 decrease from last week. Theewaterskloof Dam is at 11,0%; last year at the same time it was at 15,8%. Clanwilliam Dam is sitting at 5, 0% and Voelvlei Dam is at 14, 2%. The Vaal Dam decreased from 104, 6% last week to 104,1% this week. The Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), consisting of 14 dams and serving mainly Gauteng, Sasol and Eskom decreased from 89,6% to 89,3% .The system was at 85,5% during the same time last year.
The Algoa System with 5 dams serving Nelson Mandela Bay decreased from 23, 1% to 22, 9%. Last year the system was recorded at 40,3%. Kouga Dam is at a critical 9, 7%; Loerie Dam increased from 92,9% to 96,2%, Groendal Dam is at 46,9% and Mpofu Dam is at 35,5%.
The Amathole System which has six dams that serve East London, remains unchanged at 92,1%. Bridle Drift remains the same as last week at 81, 9% while Nahoon Dam is at 92,3% and Laing dam has hit the 100,0% mark.
In the North West, the Boskop Dam decreased by 0,2% from 100, 9% last week to 100,7% this week. Klipdrift Dam increased from 94,8% last week to 100,7% this week while Setumo increased from 76,9% to 77, 6% this week.
The Umgeni Dam System in KwaZulu-Natal with five dams that serve eThekwini and Msunduzi in Pietermaritzburg, decreased slightly from 79,5% last week to 79,4% this week. The system was at 62,0% the same time last year. Midmar Dam decreased by a fraction from 100,5% to 100,2% while Inanda Dam decreased slightly from 76,7% to 76,5%. The eThekwini Metro received widespread rains in the past week which have not impacted on the dam levels..
Statement issued by Sputnik Ratau Department of Water & Sanitation, 9 May 2018
