The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) released their weekly state of reservoirs report on September 17, showing that most listed dams in the Gert Sibande District continue to record declines in water levels.

The Mpumalanga average dropped from 96.0% to 95.3%, while the Gert Sibande District average fell from 97.0% to 96.6%.

The only dam in the district to record an improvement was Morgenstond Dam, which increased from 99.4% to 100.3%. Heyshope Dam remained steady at 99.7%.

Other dams in the district showed declines:

• Grootdraai Dam dropped from 97.5% to 96.6%
• Nooitgedacht Dam fell from 96.4% to 95.3%
• Vygeboom Dam decreased slightly from 98.9% to 98.6%
• Westoe Dam dropped from 73.8% to 72.1%

The DWS continues to urge the public to use water sparingly, as South Africa is a water-scarce country. They also advise residents to prevent water losses by reporting and fixing leaks and protecting infrastructure from vandalism.