Calls to use water sparingly as dam levels drop in the Eastern Cape

The water affairs and sanitation department has warned communities in the Eastern Cape to use water sparingly because the province’s dam levels are dwindling.

The main reason for the decline is the lack of rainfall across most of the province.

Department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said the average level of dams this week was 57.8%, a decline from 58.3% last week.| 

He said the levels of dams supplying the Buffalo City metro were consistently declining.

Rooikrantz Dam dropped to 59.4% this week from 60.0% last week, Gcuwa Dam dropped dramatically from 53.2% to 40.2% and Nahoon Dam dropped to 76.9% from 78.4%.

Kouga Dam declined from 45% last week to 44.4% this week.

However, Ratau said Kromrivier Dam showed a slight improvement from 92.9% last week to 93.2% this week, and Loerie Spruit Dam also improved, from 65.2% to 70.2%.

Ratau said Macubeni Dam was 90.5% full this week, compared with 91.8% last week, Waterdown Dam dropped to 41.6% from to 42.5% and the level of the Tsojana Dam also declined, from 98.4% to 97.7%.