Where has the water gone?
Marsberg is adamant that the drop in the water level is going to have far reaching consequences in the months to come
Mr Stan Marsberg is very worried about the drastic drop in water on the shores of Witbank Dam.
Marsberg, who owns from Riverbank Lodge, said the water has dropped more than one meter in the past two weeks.
“At this rate the municipality is going to experience a water shortage in winter and for us as businessmen on the banks of Witbank Dam, this is not a good sign,” he said.
Municipal spokesperson, Mr Kingdom Mabuza said the municipality has an appointed professional service provider responsible for flood control management at Witbank Dam sluice gates.
The service provider has an Approved Professional Person (APP) authorized by the Department of Water and Sanitation for dam safety inspection or management.
He said Witbank Dam sluice gates are not opened at the moment.
“Sluice gates are only opened for flood management and for statutory water release as per the abstraction license condition. The municipality has not opened the sluice gates since the beginning of the year and no water was released from Witbank Dam.”
According to Mabuza the dam was 88% full in the middle of February.
Mabuza explained the municipality has an authorized water abstraction license which is based on the Olifants River water balance or water usage.
The license is also based on sustainable abstraction, which the municipality can maintain without drying the dam quicker and sustain water provision.
“The municipality cannot over abstract beyond the infrastructure capacity and license conditions. The municipality is currently over abstracting beyond the license conditions but it cannot abstract beyond the current abstraction point. Various augmentation schemes have been identified and they are associated with integrated water use (water mix schemes), mine water reclamation, and reduction of water losses. The municipality is currently soliciting funds to implement identified schemes. Intermediate solutions of water augmentations through modular package plants are currently implemented.”
He concluded, “The municipality is also developing a water conservation and water demand management study which will reduce water losses in the system.”
Marsberg is adamant that the drop in the water level is going to have far reaching consequences in the months to come.
