Improvements in Mpumalanga water levels aids the fight against COVID-19

The improvement in the water levels in the Mpumalanga Province bodes well for the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus as reliable supply of water is required to ensure that people are able to regularly wash their hands.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) weekly state of reservoirs report of March 30 shows that the listed dams and the water management areas (WMA) in the Mpumalanga Province recorded slight improvements in water volumes over the week.

The report shows that the average dam levels increased from 74.7% to 75.0% and in terms of the water management areas, the Olifants increased from 67.4% to 67.6% and the Inkomati-Usuthu increased from 71.2% to 71.6%.

The Nkangala District experienced a good week with improvements in the major dams in the Olifants catchment and the only negative was the drop in the critically low Rhenosterkop Dam which decreased from 1.8% to 1.7%.

Witbank Dam increased from 97.8% to 98.4%, Middelburg Dam increased from 95.7% to 96.7% and Loskop Dam increased from 98.8% to 100.1%.

“The Department of Water and Sanitation reiterates its call to the public to use the available water wisely, sparingly and in a more conservative manner as every drop of water counts during this trying period in our country and the world as we are faced with fighting COVID-19, especially as South Africa is a water scarce country. As we wash our hands, let us be more water savvy so that every individual has access to water, the source of life. Let us make every drop count in the fight against this pandemic,” said Mr Themba Khoza spokesperson for DWS.