File image. Picture Bongani Mbatha /African News Agency (ANA)
DAMS in the Northern Cape have reached an average water storage level of 89.7 percent this week.
Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said on Wednesday that, with regards to the two major rivers in the Province, the Orange River is at 73.5 percent and the Vaal River is 66.5 percent.
“The Douglas storage weir on the Vaal River is at 17.913 million m3 or 110.3 percent. The full supply capacity of the weir is 16.245 million m3,” said Ratau. “Boegoeberg Dam on the Orange River is at 22.417 million m3 or 108.8 percent, Spitskop Dam on the Harts River is at 51.511 million m3 or 89.1 percent and the Vaalharts weir on the Vaal River is at 38.748 million m3 or 76.5 percent.”
He added that Karee Dam, which provides water to Calvinia, measured 63.1 percent this week. “This is a significant improvement because the Karee Dam was empty for some time.”
Ratau said that the availability of water in the Province fluctuated from week to week as the balancing dams acted as multipurpose facilities by diverting water into canals and pipelines or they act as pumping stations.
“Through the drought relief programme and Covid-19 interventions, the Department of Water and Sanitation has delivered 884 water tanks to high- and medium-density informal areas with unreliable or no water supply in the Province,” he added.
Ratau urged municipalities, businesses, civil society and citizens to conserve water in the Northern Cape by implementing water conservation programmes, fixing burst and leaking pipes and regularly monitoring boreholes to adhere to recommended yields.
“Behavioural change in water consumption will contribute immensely toward improving the water situation in the Northern Cape,” he said.