Water Wednesday: Water restrictions remain despite the rainy season

The rainy season has kicked into high gear in several parts of the country contributing to the rising dam levels. Water restrictions however, have not been lifted in parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal

The water levels in the Mgeni System, which services Midmar Dam, Spring Grove Dam, Mearns Dams, Albert Falls Dam, Nagle Dam and Inanda Dam, have continued to rise to 75% and are expected to rise again after April and May rains.

The Mgeni System experienced below average rainfall over the past 30 months, resulting in some of these dams remaining consistently at low levels. This is as a result of inadequate rainfall and concerns over the levels of Midmar and Albert Falls dams that mandatory water restrictions of 15% had to be implemented.

The spokesperson for Shami Harichunder said that the 15% water restrictions would still be in place because there are still areas of concern and the province’s dry season usually starts in May.

Eastern Cape

Despite consistent rain across the country, some dams in the Eastern and Western Cape experienced decreased water levels. The Algoa System in the Eastern Cape which services five dams that serve Nelson Mandela Bay, decreased from 24.7% to 24.5%. Kouga Dam remained at a critical 10.8% while Loerie Dam dropped from 100.3% to 98%. Groendal Dam stands at 50.7%, while Impofu dropped from 38.5% to 38.2%. Some dam water levels increased; the Amathole System, with six dams serving Buffalo City went up slightly from 90.4% to 90.7%. Last year this time it was at 73.5%.

An appeal has been made to the public to still adhere to water restrictions and save as much water as possible.

Western Cape

Rain in the next few months will be critical to the Western Cape’s drought situation. Their latest water levels show a steady drop into dangerous territory. On 9 April, the dam levels stood at 17%. The Western Cape MEC said that the local government is assessing the situation on an ongoing basis and urged residents to prepare for the upcoming rains by cleaning drains, gutters and making sure rain can runoff easily.

Here is your weekly dam update:

• The Vaal River System consisting of 14 dams serving mainly Gauteng Sasol and Eskom is at 101.3%.
• The Cape Town Dams System consisting of six dams serving mainly City of Cape Town this week is at 17.2%.
• The KwaZulu-Natal Dam System is at 61.6% this week while Eastern Cape Dam System sits at 68.1%.

Here are the latest dam percentages throughout the country:

For a more in depth rainfall update, visit WeatherSA or click here. For more information on the water storage levels across the country, visit the DWS site. For a comprehensive drought status report from the Department of Water and Sanitation, click here.