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Gauteng dams forming part of the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) continue to plummet week on week, resulting from a combined effect of erratic weather conditions and declining chances of rainfalls due to the winter season.

The IVRS consists of 14 dams and serving mainly Gauteng, Sasol and Eskom.

This week the Vaal Dam has gone down by 0.8% to 98.9% from 98.1% last week. Compared this time last year this dam was at its lowest at 39.8%.

Remaining below 50% this week is the Katse Dam which is currently sitting at 41.9% down by 1.3% from 43.2% last week. Last year at the same time it hovered at 59.3%.

The Sterkfontein Dam has shaken off the downward trend this week, remaining at last week’s decent 91.4% this week. The Sterkfontein is used a storage that helps to replenish the Vaal Dam. Last year this time Sterkfontein was nearly 100% full at 99.7%.

Taking a nose dive this week is the Groodraai Dam at 89.0%, down by 0.8% from 89.8% last week. This dam recorded 83.5% during the same period last year.

Decreasing from 101.6% this week, the Bloemhof Dam is a cut down by 1.1% to 100.5% this week. This time last year this dam was sitting at a meagre 22.0%.

As dams across the country continue to decline week on week, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is appealing to the public to continue to use water wisely, staving off the real possibility of dams plunging to critically low levels.

With slim prospects of any significant rainfalls forecast in the winter months, water conserving by consumers remains one of the ways of ensuring that there is an uninterrupted water supply for household and industrial use.

Issued by the Department of Water & Sanitation