Low dam water levels force municipality in Limpopo to abstract water to critical areas

Dam levels in the Mopani district’s main dams have dropped to 40%.


The Mopani District Municipality (MDM), together with the department of water and sanitation, is urging communities to use water sparingly to avert a complete shut down of water supply in the district.

The call comes after the municipality was forced to abstract water from the Middle Letaba Dam outside Giyani due to low dam levels recently, reports Letaba Herald.

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The current situation of the dam will leave thousands of communities in some parts of Vhembe and Mopani District Municipalities without running water.

“The dam supplies water to residents between Giyani and Elim, which will lead to the Giyani area’s water supply to be reduced, as the dam also provides water to the Giyani Water Works located at Nsami Dam,” explained Witness Tiva.

“The district municipality has recently procured eleven water tankers to ensure that we augment water is supply in identified critical areas.”

Meanwhile, the municipality is continuing to implement the R84 million drought relief funds received from the National Disaster Fund.

“This is mainly done through the drilling of boreholes in areas where there is still underground water,” Tiva concluded.

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