National water levels experience a marginal increase 

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s national weekly status of dams report published early this week demonstrate a slight improvement in water levels in some parts of the country. This week, the overall storage capacity of the country’s water level sits at 93.4%, a minor increment from last week’s 93.3%, and a notable enhancement from last year’s 85.2%.

Water Supply Systems that have experienced some improvements are; Algoa with dams in Nelson Mandela Bay increasing from 13.4% to 14.5%, Cape Town Water Supply System gaining from 72.5% to 73.8%, Crocodile West improved slightly from 99.6% to 99.9%, Luvuvhu faintly increased from 101.1% to 101.2%,  Orange moved slightly up from 99.2% to 99.5%, and Polokwane expanded from 101.7% to 102.0%.

The following Water Supply Systems have recorded downward movements, Amathole declined from 76.3% to 76.1, %, Bloemfontein decreased from 99.8% to 99.3%, Butterworth dropped from 100.0% to 99.8%, Umgeni experienced a reduction from 100.3% to 100.0% and Integrated Vaal River System has slightly shrunk from 100.7% to 100.6%.

Water Supply Systems that are steady and unmoved week on week are, Crocodile East at 100.3% and Umhlathuze 100.2%.

A total of three (03) out of nine (09) provinces have recorded downward movements in water levels namely, Gauteng slightly dropped from 100.8% to 100.5%, Eastern Cape reduced from 70.2% to 69.8%, and KwaZulu Natal diminished from 90.6% to 90.4%.

On the improvement mode is Western Cape which increased from 59.1% to 60.7%, this is attributed to the ongoing  downpours experienced in the province recently, Free State moved up from 100.8% to 101.0%, Limpopo improved marginally from 88.4% to 88.7%, Northern Cape has risen from 108.2% to 108.8%, and North West also increased from 81.2% to  81.5%.

Mpumalanga is the only province that is still in the same level as last week, sitting at 95.3% capacity. Jericho Dam is sitting at 100.2%, Nooitgedacht Dam which is part of the IVRS supplied by Komati River has declined from 100.9% to 100.4% and Kwena Dam which is part of Crocodile East Water Supply System is unmoved at 100.3%.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Albert Falls Dam which is part of Umgeni Water Supply System declined from 99.5% to 98.9%, Midmar Dam which is also part of Umgeni also decreased moderately from 99.6% last week to 99.0% this week, Woodstock which is supplied by Tugela River and falls under IVRS is unmoved at 101.1%.

Groendal Dam which is part of Algoa Water Supply System in the Eastern Cape is critically low at 21.3% moving further low from last week’s 21.5%, Kouga Dam which is situated in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan currently experiencing water supply challenges sits at a critically low 16.0%, Nahoom Dam which forms part of Amathole Water Supply System has decreased from 96.2% to 94.7% this week.

Thee Waterskloof shot up from 73.9% last week to 75.2%, Berg River increased from 82.2% to 84.1%, on the downward movements in as far as Western Cape is concerned is Kammanassie which is alarmingly low at 5.8%, and Northern Cape’s Karee Dam sits at 27.9%.

Vaal Dam which is part of the IVRS has decreased from 105.1% to 104.8%, Gariep Dam which is part of Orange River Water Supply System has recorded a minor improvement  from 99.4% to 99.5%, Vanderkloof Dam also moved up from 98.8% to 99.6% and Karee Dam in the Northern Cape which was critically low at 9.3% has improved to 17.9%.  

North West’s Hartbeespoort Dam in Crocodile West Water Supply System decreased from 99.4% to 99.2%, Roodekopjes increased from 103.1% to 104.2%. Vaalkop Dam stands at 91.9% and Roodeplat Dam which is the component of Crocodile West supplied by Pienaars River has moved up from 100.5% to 100.6%.

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 increased moderately from 102.2% to 102.6%, Nandoni Dam in the far north of Limpopo recorded a minor increase from 101.4% to 101.5% and Middel-Letaba is almost empty at 4.1% capacity.

The Department of Water and Sanitation is persisting to plead with water users to exercise caution when utilising the available water.

Source: Government of South Africa