Consecutive reduction in the national dam levels

• Published date: 12 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

The weekly status of reservoirs released by the Department of Water and Sanitation show that the country's dam levels are continuously declining when compared to same period last week.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department reiterated its call for the public to utilise water with caution as the winter season normally has minimal amount of rainfall.

'This week, the overall storage capacity of the country's water level sits at 94.4%, a minor decrease from last week's 95.4%, and a significant improvement from last year's 84.7%,' the department said.

The Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) recorded a minor enhancement from 102.1% last week to 102.4% this week while Algoa, Bloemfontein, Amathole, Orange, Cape Town, Polokwane, Luvuvhu and Umgeni Water Supply Systems have all declined week on week.

Water Supply Systems that have improved in water levels included Umhlathuze, Klipplaat, and Crocodile West, whereas Butterworth and Crocodile East are steady and unmoved at 100.1% and 100.6%, respectively.

Seven out of nine provinces have recorded reductions in water levels. They include Free State as it moved down from 105.2% to 103.4%, Gauteng recorded a reduction from 102.0% last week to 101.5% and KwaZulu-Natal dropped from 93.0% last week to 92.0% this week.

Limpopo dropped slightly from 89.1% to 88.8%, Northern Cape continues to plummet from 112.1% to 110.9%, North West dwindled from 80.1% last week to 78.5% this week, and the Western Cape lessened from 53.9% to 53.4%.

The only provinces that marginally escalated in water levels is the Eastern Cape, increasing from 67.1% to 67.2%. Mpumalanga is fixed and unchanged week on week at 95.3%.

'Vaal and Grootdraai Dams, which are part of the IVRS, have slightly dropped...