World Water Day – dam levels and things you should know
With today being World Water Day, and locally also National Water Week, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the South African National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA) weighed in with some statistics and facts.
The most recently recorded Mpumalanga dam levels, according to a media release from the Department of Water and Sanitation:
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report of March 16 showed that Mpumalanga recorded a slight 0.5% drop on average water levels in the listed dams; from last week’s 75.4% to 74.9%.
The report also showed that water levels in the water management areas (WMA) recorded mixed changes, with the Olifants WMA dropping from 68.0% to 67.7% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA recording a slight increase from 71.1% to 72.2%.
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The 74.9% average is slightly higher than the 74.2% recorded at the same time last year and puts Mpumalanga fourth behind Gauteng, Northern Cape and Free State.
The dams in the Ehlanzeni District also recorded mixed results, with some dams recording slight improvements, others recording some declines and others remaining unchanged.
On the improvement side, Longmere Dam improved from 62.1% to 67.3%, Kwena Dam improved from 51.4% to 52.6% and Ohrigstad Dam recorded an improvement from 11.7% to 12.0%.
Those that declined included Klipkopjes Dam, from 20.9% to 18.4%, and Primkop Dam, from 78.1% to 68.4%.
The listed dams that remained unchanged over the week are Blyderivierpoort Dam at 100.3%, Driekoppies Dam at 70.3%, Witklip Dam at 79.6%, Da Gama Dam at 57.2% and Inyaka Dam at 55.8%.
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In the Gert Sibande District, only the Vygeboom Dam recorded a slight increase (from 100.3% to 100.4%) and the rest of the listed dams recorded drops in water volumes or remained unchanged.
Grootdraai Dam dropped from 99.0% to 96.3%, Nooitgedacht Dam dropped from 96.4% to 95.6%, Jericho Dam dropped from 77.4% to 76.8% and Westoe Dam dropped from 57.1% to 56.3%. Morgenstond and Heyshope dams remained unchanged at 44.3% and 82.0% respectively.
In the Nkangala District, the major dams are still above 90%, with Witbank remaining unchanged at 97.8% and the Middelburg and Loskop dams dropping from 96.2% to 95.7% and 100.1% to 99.1% respectively.
The critically low Rhenosterkop Dam recorded a much-needed improvement, increasing from 1.9% to 2.4%.
As we celebrate the National Water Week and World Water Day this week, and dam levels in Mpumalanga look slightly better than the same period last year, the Department of Water and Sanitation encouraged the public to strengthen water conservation and wise water use initiatives to ensure that this dry and water-scarce country of ours has a reliable water supply and water security for current and future generations.
The department also encouraged communities to protect and prevent the pollution of water resources, as pollution negatively impacts on water quality and the available water fit for use.
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SANBWA CEO, Charlotte Metcalf, pleaded with South Africans: “Please, South Africa, this World Water Day, take a few minutes to remember just three things.”
Her list includes:
- Remembering that drought is still a major concern in many parts of the country. Regardless where we live, we should all continue to behave as responsible water-managing citizens by, for example, repairing leaking taps and pipes in our places of work and at our homes, minimising as far as possible the water we use when we wash dishes and clothes, and installing water-saving appliances and grey water systems (systems that put household waste water to use), if we can afford to.
Given that hand hygiene is essential to containing the spread of Covid-19 and many other infectious diseases, we should regularly disinfect our hands with soap or an alcohol-based hand rub for 20 seconds before rinsing, making certain to only turn the tap on when we are ready to rinse.
- Ensuring that we responsibly dispose of used items and do not litter. Packaging, especially plastics, cooking and motor oils, discarded batteries, pesticides and the like are polluting and, in some instances, poison our water sources both above and below ground.
- Buying bottled water from responsible bottlers, such as SANBWA members. If you do supplement your tap consumption with packaged beverages, make sure to by brands from bottlers who are committed to responsible environmental stewardship, bottle only from sustainable water sources and use packaging that is designed to be recycled.
“SANBWA’s environmental stewardship protocols address measures to ensure source sustainability and protection, water usage minimisation, energy efficiency, solid waste minimisation, and support post-consumer recycling initiatives,” Metcalf said
