Wednesday, May 22, 2019
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Water Wednesday: Misverstand Dam levels have increased

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Last Monday, the Misverstand Dam was only 10.4% full before the water started flowing into it from Berg River Dam over a 10-day period. According to the Department of Water and Sanitation’s hydrology report, 2.1 million cubic litres has reached the dam increasing its levels to 44,13%. This is a 33.79% increase compared to the 10.34% recorded last week.

This dam, which supplies municipalities on the West Coast with water for domestic, industrial and agricultural use had reached critical levels when government decided to release water from the higher upstream Berg River Dam, 90km upstream. If the Misverstand Dam had run dry, Saldanha would have had to get water from the Voëlvlei Dam, which already supplies 22 other West Coast towns.

While the release process will bring some stability at the Misverstand Dam and much needed relief, the drought conditions still persist. Therefore, the government still urges people to continue conserving water.

The Department of Water and Sanitation also urged property owners and the broader community along the Berg River to cross rivers with caution as water is running at a higher volume and there remains the possibility of localised flooding.

Water released from the Berg River Dam is still flowing and is being monitored between the different telemetric points.

Update on the Cape Town rain

Cape Town entered its rainy season this past week and achieved a one percent improvement on dam levels. People are still urged to save water and meet water targets.

Here is your weekly dam update:

  • The Vaal River System consisting of 14 dams serving mainly Gauteng Sasol and Eskom is at 101.3%.
  • The Cape Town Dams System consisting of six dams serving mainly City of Cape Town this week is at 15.9%.
  • The KwaZulu-Natal Dam System is at 65 % this week while Eastern Cape Dam System sits at 68.3%.

Here are the latest dam percentages throughout the country:

For a more in depth rainfall update, visit WeatherSA or click here. For more information on the water storage levels across the country, visit the DWS site. For a comprehensive drought status report from the Department of Water and Sanitation, click here.