Limpopo dams in a downward decline due to lack of rain
The Department of Water and Sanitation says water levels in the province are dropping slightly and water restrictions still need to be implemented in order to sustain Limpopo until the rainy season
LIMPOPO – The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have appealed to water users in Limpopo to continue saving water and adhere to restrictions as dam levels are experiencing a downward decline due to lack of rain.
A weekly report by the department revealed that few dams in the province have sufficient water in store. “The report estimates the average provincial dam level at 68,2% while stored water is 884,4 cubic metres for a capacity of 1 297,6 cubic metres,” said DWS Media Liaison Director, Sputnik Ratau.
A summary of the Water Management Area (WMA) for the province reflects an 8% drop in dam levels compared to the same period last year. The Polokwane Water Supply System currently stands at 63.6%, declining slowly compared to last week at 64.4%. The Luvuvhu Water Supply System is sitting at a satisfactory state of 93.3% this week declining with 7.6% compared to 100.9% this time last year. Nandoni Dam currently stands at 96.9% this week, whereas Vondo dam is sitting at 94.0% which Ratau says is bringing relief to the communities of Vhembe district.
He added that Ebenezer Dam is sitting at 59.3% this week compared to last week’s 60.4%. Mokolo Dam decreased by 2.2% from 76.0% last week to 73.8% this week and De Hoop Dam went down slightly from 85.2% last week to 84.7% this week with a decrease of 0.5%.
“The department embarked on a week-long stakeholder engagement in Tzaneen to explain the raising of the Tzaneen Dam wall to local residents. After completion the dam will have an increased water storage capacity that will improve agriculture and domestic consumption. A departmental study has found that both the labyrinth spillway and the hydro plus fuse gate options are considered to be technically feasible. The flood hydrology for the raised dam wall was investigated as part of the preliminary design report for Nwamitwa Dam,” Ratau said.
The Department of Water and Sanitation says water levels in the province are dropping slightly and water restrictions still need to be implemented in order to sustain Limpopo until the rainy season.
