POLOKWANE – The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is calling on water users in the province to continue using water sparingly as dam levels are slowly recovering due to rain that has fallen in most parts of Limpopo recently.
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The department’s Media Liaison Director, Sputnik Ratau, says the province’s average dam levels have risen to 65.7% this week, an increase of 2.82% compared to last week. However, current levels are still below last year’s figure which stood at 64.02%.
“A weekly summary of the Water Management Area (WMA) for Limpopo reflects an increase in dam levels compared to last week when water levels were at 64.9%. Currently, the levels are sitting at 70.4%, and in the Olifants, it is now at 63.5%, an increase of 3.1% compared to last week’s 60.4%,” Ratau said.
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Polokwane’s Water Supply Systems is currently standing at 75.1%, showing a major improvement to last year’s 52.1%. The Luvuvhu Water Supply System is at 99.1%, a huge improvement from 90.4% last week.
“In the Vhembe District, both Nandoni and Vondo Dams have surpassed the 100 mark percentage, with Nandoni currently recording 102.34%, an increase from 93.71% last week. This is a relief for communities who live in and around Thohoyandou. Vondo Dam is currently sitting at 101.44%, a huge improvement from 86.30% last week,” he added.
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In the Mopani District, Ebenezer Dam which supplies residents in the Polokwane Local Municipality, is currently at 64.41% this week.
Ratau went on to urge farmers in and around the Tzaneen Dam to continue reducing their irrigation, as the dam has slightly improved from 12.42% last week to 16.37% this week. Nsami dam in the Giyani area is currently sitting at 59.18%, a slight improvement from 51.40% last week.
“The Glen Alpine Dam in Waterberg District is sitting at 18.72% this week, which is major concern, whereas Mokolo dam is comfortably sitting at 77.70%. In the Sekhukhune District, De Hoop Dam slightly went up from 85.21% last week to 87.86% this week, an increase of 2.65%, whereas Flag Boshielo is currently sitting at 79.03%,” he said.
In relation to provincial storage, even though some water levels are still in respectable percentage, the province still needs to continue to implement water restrictions so that reliable water provision is sustained until more rain falls.
“Water is a scarce resource and catalytic towards economic development and it must therefore be conserved at all times,” Ratau concluded.
