Northern Cape provincial water storage records a marginal rise

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS)’s weekly status of reservoir points out that Northern Cape dam levels has increased slightly from 93.9% last week to 94.6% this week. The dams in the province look better than they were during the same period last year when they were sitting at 92.9%.

The main Water Supply System in the Province; Orange River Water Supply System has decreased from 91.7% last week to 91.1% this week.

Karee Dam which serves Calvinia has further diminished from 23.6% last week to 22.7% this week. This decline is of major concern given the fact that same period last year it stood at 71.5%. Vanderkloof Dam which is situated at the border of Free State and Northern Cape witnessed a slim drop from 98.6% to 98.5%.

The following are the provincial storage weirs; Douglas Storage Weirs recorded an upward movement from 109.3% last week to 109.8% this week, Vaalharts expanded from 91.5% to 93.0% week on week, Boegoeberg is steady and unchanged at 72.5%, and Spitskop also moved up from 100.4% this week to 100.9% this week.

With the purpose of enhancing safe drinking water supply and security in the Northern Cape, the Department of Water and Sanitation in partnership with Siyathemba Local Municipality have recently upgraded the capacity of the Siyathemba Waste Water Treatment Works from 2.175 ML/day to 3.6 ML/day at a cost of R 34.2 million.

Source: Government of South Africa