NATIONAL NEWS - Heavy rainfall in large parts of South Africa has resulted in Free State dams being filled to the brim. The Witbank Dam and Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga have also breached the 100% capacity mark recently.
The Bloemfontein Courant reports that Free State dams are full to capacity.
Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation, explains that the weekly report issued by the department reflects a water storage of 105.4% for the province.
Rustfontein and Groothoek dams, that feeds the community of Bloemfontein, are sitting at 119.3% and 102.8% respectively.
Welbedacht Dam, that has previously left residents of Mangaung without water for days, has now recorded 100%, while Knellpoort Dam has increased slightly to 105.4 %. Sterkfontein Dam is at 102.3% and Bloemhof Dam is at 108%. Allemanskraal Dam is at 98.8%, while Erfenis Dam is showing a slight increase at 111.0 %.
Tierpoort Dam is also one of the dams that has seen an increase of 124.0% from the previous week’s 104.3%. Kalkfontein Dam is at 104.1%, Krugersdrift Dam recorded an increase at 123.7% and Metsi-Matsho Dam is sitting at 100%. Fika-Patso Dam is at 99.8%, the same as the previous week’s recording.
The Gariep Dam has recorded a small decrease at 103.1% % from the previous week’s 103.2%. Vanderkloof Dam is at 105.6%, indicating a slight increase from the previous week’s recording of 105.2%.
The Department promises to continue to monitor all the dams and release water where necessary to relieve pressure off the dams, thus ensuring safety of those living downstream.
“South Africa is still a dry and water scarce country and water should continue to be used sparingly,” Ratau says.
Meanwhile dams in Mpumalanga have also breached the 100% mark.
The Witbank News reports that Witbank Dam reached 100.8% yesterday. This morning the dam is steady at 100,2% and the outflow is kept at 134 cumecs (cubic meter per second).
According to the department’s weekly report of April 11, the Witbank Dam recorded a 3.4% increase from last week’s 98.1% to 101.5%.
Other listed dams in the Nkangala District also recorded improvements in water levels. Middelburg Dam decreased from 98.4% to 96.7%, Loskop Dam increased from 100.3% to 103.0% and Rhenosterkop/Mkhombo Dam increased from 26.5% to 28.6%.
The water situation in the listed dams in the Nkangala District is in line with the provincial situation which also recorded improvements.
The average dam levels in the Mpumalanga Province recorded a 2.3% improvement, increasing from 92.8% to 95.1%.
The department encourages the public to be extra careful on rainy days, to prevent the loss of lives and property. People are urged not to try to cross flooded roads and rivers and to move to higher ground when water levels increase to prevent flood related disasters.
In a statement yesterday, the department says it is keeping a close eye on two dams in KwaZulu-Natal because of their high levels after rains in the province.
The Ntshingwayo Dam near Newcastle has a 80% operating rule but is currently at 82%. Water is being released at 23.43 cumec.
The Pongolapoort/Jozini Dam is currently at 86%. According to the 85% operating rule for the dam the department should be releasing 38 cumec but only 20 cumec is currently being released.
The department says the lower release is to allow for the security of the infrastructure whilst the communication to communities downstream is in progress. The release might be increased after communities have been warned.
Article: Caxton publication, Alberton Record
