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The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) calls on the public to use water wisely and sparingly as water levels continue to drop in the Mpumalanga Province. Water conservation remains key for water security and sustainable water supply as the decline in water levels continue. 

The latest DWS weekly state of reservoirs report of 26 August 2024 shows that water levels in the listed dams and water management areas continue to drop and that the water levels are lower than the levels recorded at the same time last year.

The report shows that the average dam levels in the Mpumalanga Province dropped below 90% from last week’s 90.0% to 89.1% which is lower than the 96.1% recorded last year. In the Water Management Areas (WMA), the Olifants WMA dropped from 80.6% to 80.0% which is lower than the 88.7% recorded last year and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA dropped from 91.1% to 90.3% which is also lower than the 96.3% recorded at the same time last year. 

Water levels also continue to drop according to the districts and are also less than what was recorded last year. The report shows that water levels in Ehlanzeni dropped from 92.1% to 90.7%, Gert Sibande dropped from 87.1% to 86.4%, and Nkangala dropped from 92.7% to 92.0%. 

Most of the listed dams in Ehlanzeni District and the Lowveld recorded declines in water levels with only Longmere Dam recording an increase from 77.2% to 78.7% and Da Gama Dam remaining unchanged at 91.8%. 

The listed dams that declined in water levels include Blyderivierpoort dropping from 87.5% to 85.3%, Buffelskloof from 78.0% to 75.4%, Driekoppies from 95.5% to 94.9%, Klipkopjes from 96.7% to 92.8%, Witklip from 92.0% to 89.5%, Kwena from 90.6% to 88.8%, Inyaka from 95.5% to 93.4%, and Ohrigstad from 45.0% to 42.8%.

In the Gert Sibande District, Jericho Dam is the only listed dam that recorded an improvement from 72.4% to 72.9% and Morgenstond Dam remained unchanged at 84.0%. 

The dams that continue to record declines in Gert Sibande District include Grootdraai dam dropping from 82.3% to 80.7%, Nooitgedacht from 82.8% to 81.8%, Vygeboom from 100.1% to 100.0%, Westoe from 43.7% to 41.8%, and Heyshope from 98.0% to 97.7%

All the listed dams in the Nkangala District recorded declines in water levels with Witbank Dam dropping from 93.8% to 93.2%, Middelburg Dam dropping from 88.9% to 88.2%, Loskop Dam from 95.4% to 94.4%, and Rhenosterkop / Mkhombo Dam from 88.2% to 88.0%.

The Department of Water and Sanitation reminds the public that South Africa is amongst the thirty driest countries in the world, and this calls for responsible citizens to use the available water wisely and sparingly.

Water is life and has no substitute therefore it is crucial to be more conservative in our water use to ensure water security and sustainable water supply for the current and future generations as every drop counts in our water scarce country. Water security also calls for the protection of water resources, especially from pollution.

 

Issued by Department of Water and Sanitation