Water and Sanitation urges strengthened water conservation amid mixed Lowveld dam levels

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Mpumalanga calls on the public to intensify water conservation efforts and use the available water sparingly as the listed dams in the Lowveld record mixed results.

The latest DWS weekly state of reservoirs report issued on 03 February 2025, indicates that while most of the listed dams in the Lowveld and Ehlanzeni District recorded some improvements, others have experienced declines, with some remaining unchanged.

The listed dams which recorded improvements include Buffelskloof Dam from 100.8% to 101.2%, Klipkopjes Dam from 88.1% to 89.2%, Witklip Dam from 95.9% to 96.4%, Kwena
Dam from 85.8% to 86.8%, Inyaka Dam from 82.4% to 83.3%, Ohrigstad Dam from 42.2% to
44.7%, and Vygeboom Dam from 100.3% to 100.5%.

On the decline, Blyderivierpoort Dam dropped from 100.4% to 100.3%, Longmere Dam from 93.7% to 87.6%, and Primkop Dam from 100.2% to 100.0%. Meanwhile, Driekoppies, Da Gama and Nooitgedacht dams remained unchanged at 85.5%, 98.9% and 101.0%, respectively.

The overall water storage capacity in Mpumalanga Province remains steady at 94.9%. In terms of Water Management Areas (WMAs), the Limpopo-Olifants WMA experienced a slight decline from 83.9% to 83.6%, while the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA showed an improvement from 91.3% to 91.7%.

Water levels across the three districts also showed mixed results. Ehlanzeni recorded a slight increase from 86.1% to 86.5%, Gert Sibande remained unchanged at 97.5%, and Nkangala saw a minor decrease from 98.6% to 98.5%.

South Africa remains one of the world's 30 driest countries, highlighting the critical need for responsible water usage. The Department urges all citizens to prioritise water conservation to ensure long-term sustainability.

For enquiries:
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935

Themba Khoza
Cell: 066 301 6962

#GovZAupdates
#ServiceDeliveryZA