The Department of Water and Sanitation reports that South Africa’s water storage levels are currently stable.
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The country’s water storage levels remain stable amid erratic weather patterns. However, citizens are encouraged to continue to use water sparingly.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says that supply systems remain stable although there has been a slight decrease in some storage reservoirs around the country. The declining water levels are attributed to climate conditions including lack of rainfall in most parts of the country as well as heatwaves that are being experienced in provinces such as Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, central and eastern regions of North West, northern areas of Free State, and the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
The DWS has reiterated its call for domestic, agricultural and industrial water users to use water with extreme caution during this time. Members of the public are urged to keep hydrated by consuming enough liquids, keep away from direct sunlight, while being considerate in the use of available potable water in the system to ensure equitable access for all users during this heatwave.
The Department also warns communities to avoid using water bodies such as rivers, dams, quarries and water canals to try and cool off or carry out extramural activities such as swimming as they may pose life threatening risks. Parents are urged to keep children away from water bodies as it may endanger their lives. The country has been experiencing varying weather patterns in various parts of the nine provinces including sporadic heavy rainfall to above normal hot temperatures leading to a decrease in surface water storage in dams due to increased water demand and evaporation rates in dams. The national surface water storage is currently at 75.9% of full supply capacity, a 0.6% decrease from the previous week.
