The Department of Water and Sanitation has urged residents of KwaZulu-Natal to use water sparingly as dam levels in the province continue to fall.
According to the department’s weekly report on reservoir statuses, provincial water storage has dropped from 70.1 percent to 69.4 percent in the last week.
Furthermore, the province’s water supply system, Umgeni, has dropped from 80.1 percent last week to 79.3 percent this week.
“The declines are attributed to the dry winter season. However, as we bid this season farewell and look forward to spring and summer, we hope to see an improvement in the province’s dam levels,” said spokesperson Sputnik Ratau.
Ratau reiterated that the significant decline should not cause residents to be concerned, as most of the province’s dams are still above average, despite the overall decline in water storage capacity.
“Dams such as Spioenkop on the Tugela River are currently at 97.7%, down from 98.2% last week. Meanwhile, Woodstock Dam has dropped from 86.6% to 82.8%,” he said.
Ntshingwayo Dam’s water level has dropped from 75.3% to 74.2%, while Zaaihoek Dam’s water level has remained constant at 78.4%.
Hazelmere Dam on the Mdloti River is below average and has decreased from 43.4 percent to 42.0 percent. Albert Falls has dropped to 51.5 percent from 52.1 percent.
The Mearns Dam has seen a significant decrease, falling from 61.0 percent to 49.8 percent.
The department has also urged residents to report water leaks and infrastructure vandalism, as both these factors contribute to the amount of fresh water lost in the country.
Here’s a look at this week’s dam level status in some KwaZulu-Natal dams:
| DAM | STATUS LAST WEEK | STATUS THIS WEEK |
| Midmar | 95.8% | 95.2% |
| Nagle | 79.3% | 81.3% |
| Inanda | 92.1% | 91.3% |
| Hluhluwe | 90.6% | 89.9% |
| Wagendrift | 98.5% | 98.1% |
| Spring Grove | 90.7% | 89.3% |
| Bivane | 92.3% | 90.7% |
| Klipfontein | 90.9% | 90.9% |
| Pongolapoort | 57.2% | 56.9% |
| Driel Barrage | 94.1% | 110.2% |
| Goedertrouw | 72.6% | 72.2% |
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