Mpumalanga dam levels continue to drop. Here’s where they stood this week

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s latest weekly report revealed a consecutive decline in dam levels in Mpumalanga, with some sitting below 30%.

South Africa’s dwindling water resources and varying regional conditions have contributed to disparities in dam capacities across the province.

The department on Wednesday in its weekly report called for the conservation of water resources as dam levels across the province show concerning declines.

This decrease is mirrored in the provincial storage capacity, which decreased from 81.6% to 80.6%

The water management areas (WMA) also recorded declines with the Olifants WMA dropping from 74.0% to 72.9% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA decreasing from 83.9% to 83.0%.

Declines in dam levels

Districts across Mpumalanga have also experienced declines in dam levels, with Ehlanzeni dropping from 80.3% to 78.9%, Gert Sibande from 80.8% to 80.5%, and Nkangala from 84.1% to 82.9%. 

While most listed water sources decreased in the province, Longmere and Witklip dams were the only ones that showed increasing levels at 66.4% to 76.4%, and 75.7% to 75.8% respectively.

The following dams in the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni districts recorded declining water levels:

The Ohrigstad Dam’s capacity recorded the lowest capacity and dropped to an alarming 16.7%.

Department of Water and Sanitation Head of Communication Mandla Mathebula said the department operated and monitored major dams systematically to ensure they performed according to their intended purposes.

He said the amount of water that Ohrigstad Dam captures and stores can be variable.

“Ohrigstad Dam is a stand-alone dam that supplies water for irrigation, domestic needs, and for the environment,” said Mathebula.

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Disparities in dam capacities

Mathebula noted that there were some issues affecting water supply and management in the Ohrigstad Dam area.

“There are some reported incidents of illegal water abstraction in the Ohrigstad Dam area.”

He said these were being tended to as part of compliance monitoring and enforcement efforts.

Despite the relatively low dam level, no emergency measures have been implemented yet, as the dam’s level was 60% in May.

According to Mathebula, the department’s monitoring indicated that the dam was performing within the “expected” range.

However, he added water restrictions may be implemented in the 2025/2026 operating year if levels do not recover during the upcoming summer season.

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