Officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Water and Sanitation have urged residents not to lower their guard in saving water.
Dam levels across the province have been rising steadily as a result of recent rainfall and the Department’s spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau said the province’s water storage capacity has increased by approximately 1.9% this week.
“The marginal increase seen week-on-week should not let water consumers let their guard down… There are some parts of the province which are still experiencing water scarcity challenges.”
It was for this reason, he added, that the Department has urged consumers to use water sparingly to ensure a consistent supply for all.
“Water scarcity remains a concern for the Department but there is no need to be alarmed. We are looking at innovative measures to help augment concerns in different parts of the country. Some of these measures were detailed by Minister Lindiwe Sisulu during last week’s State of the Nation Address (SONA),” explained Ratau.
These measures included desalination and cloud harvesting to create a secure water mix reserve. Ratau further warned that the Department would not hesitate to deal ‘harshly with those who continue to vandalise water infrastructure across the province’.
Here’s a look at this week’s dam level status in some KwaZulu-Natal dams:
| DAM | STATUS LAST WEEK | STATUS THIS WEEK |
| Klipfontein | 103.6% | 100.8% |
| Woodstock | 101.6% | 101.6% |
| Spioenkop | 100.6% | 100.7% |
| Hluhluwe | 102.4% | 101.8% |
| Driel Barrage | 88.1% | 88.1% |
| Zaaihoek | 73.1% | 80.7% |
| Wagendrift | 102.3% | 101.3% |
| Mearns | 100.9% | 100.0% |
| Bivane | 102.2% | 101.8% |
| Pongolapoort | 51.0% | 53.5% |
| Goedertrouw | 67.6% | 71.1% |
| Ntshingwayo | 86.1% | 88.0% |
