Home News Dams filling up, but conserving water is still important

Dams filling up, but conserving water is still important

1123

The Department of Water and Sanitation has called on water users to heighten efforts aimed at water conservation and has urged them to be on the lookout for water losses through leakages and burst pipes.

File Picture

THE LEVEL of the Karee Dam, which had been empty for several months, is now at 70% following the late winter rains experienced in the western parts of the Northern Cape.

Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation in the Northern Cape, Amogelang Moholoeng, pointed out on Wednesday that this was a significant increase for the dam, which is the only water storage dam in the Northern Cape.

“The Karee Dam has experienced dwindling water levels for a long time and was for some time at 0%,” Moholoeng said. He added that the level of the dam was a clear indication of the effects of drought in the Northern Cape.

The total water storage in the Northern Cape is currently at 92.8%.

“The Northern Cape is dependent on two rivers, the Orange and Vaal rivers, which are currently at 83.6% and 72.5% full respectively.”

The other upstream dams in the Orange River system that determine water availability for the Northern Cape are the Gariep Dam, which is at 83.3%, and the Vanderkloof Dam at 92.7%.

Bloemhof in the Integrated Vaal River System is currently at 96.5%.

Concern has meanwhile been expressed regarding the level of the Vaal Dam which this week decreased to even lower levels and has become one of the fastest declining dams in the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) week-on-week.

For the past two consecutive weeks, the Vaal Dam remained at 41.6% but recorded a decline to 39.6% this week. This is a record low considering that the dam was at 62.3% during the same week last year.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has called on water users to heighten efforts aimed at water conservation and has urged water consumers to be on the lookout for water losses through leakages and burst pipes.

Previous articleStruggling South Africans urged to consider debt counselling
Next articleNUM declares dispute with Kumba over sick leave