Low dam levels not a concern for TCM

LYDENBURG – The water levels of several dams surrounding the town are extremely low and there is insufficient rainfall to fill them.

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Dwaf) released statistics which indicate significant drops in the water levels of various dams in the province, compared to this time last year.

The report Kwena Dam is said to be only 48 per cent full. This is a big drop from last year when the dam was full. Even more worrying is the level of the Ohrigstad Dam which stands at only 7,5 per cent.

According to a life-long resident of Lydenburg, Mr Egbert Hiemstra Sr, the drought the town experienced in 1991 was not as bad as the current one.

“Back then there was only a quarter of the current population in the town About 10 per cent of the Lydenburg Dam from which the town gets its water, is silted up and this means it stores 10 per cent less water than it is supposed to.

“There were also fewer pipe leakages,” he said.

Hiemstra said that years ago a two- metre-long steel construction was erected on the wall to increase the dam’s capacity.

“This construction broke 11 years ago and has not been repaired. The inflow into the dam is at this stage is very little because the water table dropped significantly and several fountains have dried up and will not flow before we experience good summer rainfall,” he said.

Hiemstra said the water currently in the dam reflects the lack of rain.

“Even if the dam is filled to capacity, now we would probably not have enough water to last through the winter. The rainfall season is also nearing its end and there is little hope for more rain.

The Dorps River used to be suitable for water consumption but if it doesn’t rain it will only be a run-off for sewage.”

Hiemstra said there was a possible solution. “There runs a very large aquifer on the east side of the town and a lot of boreholes have been sunk into it. Years ago Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) sunk six boreholes for emergency water. The pumps have, however, been stolen over the years but it can be reconnected as a possible interim solution. There’s three months left to do this. The question, however, remains who will do it?” he stated.

Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted TCM and asked about the current water situation and whether the municipality was aware of the boreholes mentioned by Hiemstra.

Mr Puleng Mapheto, communi-cations manager at TCM, told the newspaper that restrictions will only be considered if the water level of Lydenburg Dam drops drastically.

He said the town was not facing a water crisis at the moment.

“For now we are operating at full capacity. The information regarding boreholes is not accurate. Four of the boreholes are fully functional. Water challenges will always remain because of the size of the dam versus the demand.

“That is why it is imperative to call upon all residents to use water sparingly. It is therefore suffice to say we currently have no water crisis at all,” said Mapheto.

The Lydenburg Dam is currently 100 per cent full, said the acting operations manager, Mr Africa Ngomane of TCM.