Water and Sanitation on Limpopo water levels
Limpopo dam levels satisfactory due to recent rainfalls
The recent rains in Limpopo Province have significantly boosted the water levels at various dams in the province. This was revealed by a weekly state of reservoirs report issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation this week.
The report has shown that the amount of water stored in the province’s reservoirs has remained unchanged at a high level of 82.7% this week. These levels have considerably improved when compared to 63.3% during the same period last year.
This improvement means that the available water in the province as of this week is at 1 290.0 cubic metres out of a full capacity of 1 480.10 cubic metres.
The Polokwane Water Supply System with dams supplying water to Polokwane and surrounding areas is currently at 103.7%, a slight decline from last week’s 104.7%. This is also a great improvement as compared to last year at this time when the system stood at 68.2%.
Ebenezer Dam on the Groot Letaba River, which supplies most communities around Polokwane, has increased significantly from last week’s 98.1% to 98.4% this week. This is a huge improvement from last year when the dam was at 36.1% during this period.
In Vhembe District, Nandoni Dam supplied by Levhuvhu River, is at its full capacity at 101.3% this week, despite a slight decrease from last week’s 101,7%. The dam recorded 103.6 % last year at this time. Vondo Dam has seen a significant rise to its full capacity at 100.1% this week, compared to last week’s 97.9%. The dam recorded 70.7% last year during this period.
De Hoop Dam on the Steelpoort River, which supplies the community of Sekhukhune and the local mining industries, has remained unchanged at 101.0% this week. This is an improvement from last year’s 90.4% at this time. Flag Boshielo Dam is at its full capacity with 105.6%, despite a decrease from last week’s 107.1%. The dam recorded 80.2%. last year at this time.
Mokolo Dam in Mokolo River has been a struggling dam with its levels, but it has now increased by 102.0% this week. Last week it stood at 102.2%. This is a great improvement compared to 39.8% last year at this time.
Tzaneen Dam has also been at very low levels but it is now sitting at 89.2% from last week’s 87.8%. This dam which supplies water to farmers for irrigation in the area was at a low level of 31.8% at this time last year.
However, Middle Letaba Dam remains critically low at 4.7% this week, down from the equally low 4.9% last week. This dam was at a paltry 1.6% last year at this time.
Despite these great improvements of the water levels in the province’s dams, the Department of Water and Sanitation still reiterates its call on water consumers in the province to continue using water sparingly. These improvements are as a result of the recent summer rainfalls but there will be a time when the temperatures become very high in Limpopo, resulting in the province’s water levels reduction due to water evaporation.
Source: Government of South Africa