National water volumes continue to decline, water users urged to save water

The Department of Water and Sanitation's weekly status of dams demonstrate that the country's water levels are on a continual decline albeit moderately when compared to the same period last week. This week, the overall storage capacity of the country's reservoirs is at 92.9% 93.1%, a small margin reduction from last week's 93.1%, and a significant improvement from last year's 82.7%.

Water Supply Systems that are steady and unmoved week on week are: Cape Town at 75.4%, Luvuvhu at 101.1% and Umhlathuze sits at 100.1%.

Algoa Water Supply System which supplies Nelson Mandela Bay Metro is among the five systems that have recorded slight improvement increasing from 14.8% last week to 14.9% this week. Butterworth Water Supply System climbed from 99.3% last week to 99.6% this week, Crocodile East moved up from 100.2% to 100.3%, Klipplaat improved from 99.7% to 100.1%, and Polokwane increased from 101.5% to 101.7%.

The remaining six Water Supply Systems have declined: Amathole from 76.2% to 74.7%, Bloemfontein from 99.1% to 98.0%, Crocodile West from 99.6% to 99.1%, Umgeni from 99.1% to 98.6%, Orange from 99.2% to 99.0% and the biggest water supply system, Integrated Vaal River System supplying 14 dams dipped from 100.1% to 99.7%.

Seven out of nine provinces have recorded downwards movements in water levels namely, Eastern Cape from 70.0% to 69.9%, KwaZulu-Natal from 89.7% to 89.4%, Free State from 100.7% to 100.3%, North West from 81.0% to 80.7% and Northern Cape from 108.8% to 107.3%.

On the improvement bracket is Western Cape which increased from 62.8% to 63.2% and Gauteng from 100.2% to 100.7%. Both Mpumalanga and Limpopo are unmoved at 95.2% and 88.2% respectively.

The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to urge the public to save and use water sparingly to ensure that the available water doesn't run out before another rainy season kicks in, which is anticipated to be in October.