Mpumalanga records slight improvement in water levels

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) recently encouraged the public to continue using water sparingly despite some slight improvement in water levels in Mpumalanga, especially in this dry winter season.

The latest DWS weekly state of reservoirs report of May 22 shows that the average dam levels in the province recorded a slight 0.2% increase from last week’s 98.9% to 99.1%.

In the Water Management Areas (WMAs), the Olifants WMA increased from 90.3% to 90.7% while the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA remained unchanged at 99.7%. These levels are much better than the same period last year when average dam levels stood at 95.4%, the Olifants WMA stood at 84.4% and Inkomati-Usuthu WMA stood at 99.5%.

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The report also shows that the water levels per district is in line with these areas. Ehlanzeni and Gert Sibande districts remained unchanged at 100.5% and 98.4% in line with the water situation in the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA. The water levels in the Nkangala District recorded a slight improvement in line with the slight improvement in the Olifants WMA.

The majority of the listed dams in the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni District remained unchanged in water levels. Blyderivierpoort and Driekoppies dams recorded declines in water levels, dropping from 100.7% to 100.6% and 100.8% to 100.5% respectively. Kwena and Ohrigstad are the only dams that recorded some improvements in water levels, increasing from 100.5% to 100.6% and 100% to 100.1% respectively.

The Lowveld dams that remained unchanged in the week include Buffelskloof at 100.3%, Longmere at 101.1%, Klipkopjes at 100.2%, Witklip at 100.3%, Primkop at 100.4%, Da Gama at 100.3% and Inyaka at 100.2%.

In the Gert Sibande District, most listed dams recorded some improvements in water levels, which included Grootdraai increasing from 96.8% to 96.9%, Nooitgedacht from 99.9% to 100.6%, Vygeboom from 100.8% to 100.9% and Heyshope from 100.9% to 101%.

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Dropping in water levels were Jericho Dam dropped from 92.2% to 91.6%, Westoe from 87.8% to 86.6% and Morgenstond from 100.2% to 100.1%.
Witbank and Middelburg dams dropped in water volumes while Loskop and Rhenosterkop/Mkhombo dams recorded some improvements in water levels in the Nkangala District.

Witbank Dam dropped from 101.5% to 98.5% and Middelburg Dam dropped from 98.5% to 97.5%.

On the positive, Loskop Dam increased from 100.9% to 101.1% and Rhenosterkop/Mkhombo Dam recorded an increase from 92.3% to 95.8%.

The department also urges the public to fix leaks and prevent unnecessary water wastage and losses as South Africa is a water-scarce country and water has no substitute.