Kwena breaches walls for first time in five years
Kwena Dam has for the first time in more than half a decade breached its dam walls.
Past figures provided by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) show that on January 1, 2015, Kwena was 101,5 per cent full.
It steadily decreased to the lowest level it had ever been at in the past five years – 20,35 per cent in November 2016.
The only time it came close to that was in January this year at 28 per cent.
The lowest the dam has ever been at was in 1995 at 8,81 per cent. The steepest decline was between 1991 and 1992, when it dropped from 100,71 per cent to 11,48 per cent in just one year.
Since the first rain arrived in late January as a result of Cyclone Eloise, Kwena has risen by more than 70 per cent. Coming into 2021, Kwena’s level was at 28 per cent, according to the DWS’ report of January 18.
The most recent figures of April 6 stated the dam now sits at 100,16 per cent.
Mpumalanga’s average dam levels are now almost 90 per cent, compared to last year’s 74,8 per cent.
Inkomati-Usuthu water management area is now at an average of 94 per cent.
ALSO READ: Kwena Dam level edges closer to 100 per cent
In the Ehlanzeni District, all but Nooitgedacht and Inyaka dams have now reached 100 per cent.
