Slight improvement in country’s dam levels following heavy rain

The country’s water storage has shown some signs of stability as dam levels slightly increased following heavy rain across some parts of the country this week and at weekend, the department of water and sanitation confirmed.

The department revealed that the country’s average dam levels went up from 62.2% to 62.6% in comparison to the previous week, while more rain was expected in the coming days.

“It is expected that South Africa’s dam levels will improve exponentially in the run-up to the festive season when parts of the country will experience flash floods. However, the department has urged water users to continue saving water as the country was not out of the woods yet,” department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said in a statement.

Ratau said Gauteng’s dam levels – whose main supplier was Vaal Dam – increased from 90.8% to 91.7%, while the Free

State’s dams – including Gariep, Vanderkloof and Sterkfontein – also increased from 71.6% last week to 72.1%.

“The rain also had a positive impact on Northern Cape as the province’s dams increased from 89.5% to 90.1% this week.

“However, as the Western Cape approaches its hydrological season of winter rain at end November, the province’s dam levels have begun their marginal downward slide week-on-week.”

According to the department’s latest weekly report on dam levels, the province dropped its levels from 80% to 79.5% this week.”

He also noted that KwaZulu-Natal and North West’s dams benefitted from the heavy rains.

“Dams in KwaZulu-Natal soared from 52.7% to 53.3% while North West dams increased marginally 62.5% to 63.2%.”

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga and Limpopo’s dam levels dropped by 1%.

“The situation remains dire in the Mopani region where the big three dams – Tzaneen, Middle-Letaba

and Modjadji – hover below 10%.”

Ratau added that the department urged people in the rural communities – who did not have access to potable water – to take the opportunity of harvesting as much water during summer to sustain them through dry conditions.

The rain forecast for early summer indicated increased chances of above-normal rainfall over most parts of the country.

The department of water and sanitation has appealed to rural communities who don’t have access to potable water to harvest rain water during summer to sustain them through dry conditions.

The department said this week’s torrential rain has slightly improved the country’s water situation, increasing Eastern Cape dam levels by almost 2%, while the country’s average dam levels went up from 62.2% to 62.6%.

“For the past four years, vast parts of the Eastern Cape have been experiencing severe dry conditions, which left many users struggling to access water for basic use,” the department said in its weekly report on dam levels.

“However, the recent rain has brought some relief for many communities, especially the rural populace that harvested as much water as it could from the rains.”

The department expected dam levels to improve in the run-up to the festive season, when parts of the country will have flash floods.

However, the department has urged water users to continue saving water, as the country is not out of the woods.

Gauteng’s Vaal Dam experienced a 1% increase in its dam levels from 90.8% to 91.7% this week, with Free State dams increasing from 71.6% last week to 72.1%.

The rain in the Northern Cape has also had a positive impact, as dam levels increased from 89.5% to 90.1%. –