Mpumalanga records continuous drop in water levels
Water is life, so let us all do our part in preserving this special source of life .
The water levels in the Mpumalanga Province’s dams and catchment management areas continue to drop.
According to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report of July 23 the average dam levels declined from 79,9 percent to 79,5 percent. Water volumes in the Olifants catchment decreased from 71,3percent to 70,9 percent. Inkomati-Usuthu catchment recorded a drop from 80,4 percent to 80,1 percent.
Also read: Slight increase in dam water levels
All the major dams in the province recorded a decline in the volume of water in storage. In the Nkangala District, Witbank Dam decreased from 100,7 percent to 100,6 percent, Middelburg Dam decreased from 98,1 percent to 97,8 percent. The Loskop Dam recorded a drop from 100,1 percent to 99,7 percent.
In the Ehlanzeni District, the Driekoppies Dam decreased from 68,4 percent to 68,3 percent, Longmere Dam decreased from 70,3 percent to 67,1 percent, Witklip Dam decreased from 96,8 percent to 95,9 percent, Kwena Dam decreased from 74,2 percent to 73,8 percent and Inyaka Dam decreased from 75,2percent to 74,5 percent. Da Gama Dam remained unchanged at 81,2% while the Klipkopjes Dam recorded a slight increase from 76,2 percent to 76,7 percent.
The drop in water levels also continues in the Gert Sibande District. Grootdraai Dam decreased from 90,7 percent to 89,7 percent, Nooitgedacht dam decreased from 91,9 percent to 91,7 percent. The Vygeboom Dam decreased from 97,8 percent to 97,4 percent , Heyshope dam decreased from 88 percent to 87,9 percent , Westoe Dam decreased from 59, 2 percent to 57,9 percent. Jericho Dam decreased from 84,4 percent to 83,9 percent while Morgenstond Dam slightly increased from 78,9 percent to 79,6 percent.
“We urge water users to be conservative in their water usage and they should use the available water in a wise and sparing manner, taking into consideration that we live in a water scarce country, especially as most of the country is in the middle of the dry winter season,” said Themba Khoza, provincial spokesperson for the department of water and sanitation..
“Let us keep our rivers, streams, wetlands and all other resources clean, healthy and free-flowing to ensure water security for our water stressed country. Water is life, so let us all do our part in preserving this special source of life for socio-economic development of our current and future generations” he concludes.
