The relentless heatwave across KwaZulu-Natal continues unabated. While certain municipalities have attributed declining water availability to the severe heat, questions arise regarding the state of the province’s dams. Are water levels critically low, and should residents be concerned about the current condition of KwaZulu-Natal’s water resources?
Well, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) official update on Monday, 9 December 2024, detailing the status of dams across the province, water levels do not appear to be at critical levels.
Although some dams require rainfall to replenish their reserves, the overall situation appears to be in good standing. Therefore, Newcastillian News is actively pursuing answers from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on the subject.
Nevertheless, the latest figures reported by the DWS for dam levels in KwaZulu-Natal are as follows:
- Albert Falls Dam is currently at 80.7%, showing a slight increase from last week’s 79.5%.
- Bivane Dam stands at 67.2%, reflecting a minor drop from the previous week’s 67.8%.
- Craigie Burn Dam has risen to 98.1% compared to last week’s 96.3%.
- Driel Barrage Dam is now at 91.8%, up from 90.6% the previous week.
- Goedertrouw Dam remains steady at 89.8%.
- Hazelmere Dam has experienced a slight increase, now at 84.5%, compared to 84% last week.
- Hluhluwe Dam has seen a slight decline, with current levels at 80.9%, down from 82.2% last week.
- Inanda Dam has risen marginally to 102% from the previous week’s 101.7%.
- Klipfontein Dam is at 69.4%, a minor decrease from last week’s 70.2%.
- Mearns Dam remains healthy at 101.2%, though this reflects a drop from last week’s 107.3%.
- Midmar Dam has increased from 86.1% last week to 89.5% this week.
- Nagle Dam has recorded a slight decrease, now at 98.5%, down from last week’s 100.2%.
- Newcastle’s Ntshingwayo (Chelmsford) Dam is currently at 63.9%, slightly lower than the previous week’s 64.5%.
- Pongolapoort Dam stands at 72.4%, reflecting a minor decline from 72.6% last week.
- Spioenkop Dam remains unchanged at 100.2%.
- Spring Grove Dam is stable at 62%.
- Wagendrift Dam is unchanged at 101.1%.
- Woodstock Dam has seen a slight decrease, now at 88.1%, compared to last week’s 88.5%.
- Zaaihoek Dam remains constant at 90.6%.
Furthermore, while most dams across the province remain at healthy levels, the persistent water supply issues in Northern KwaZulu-Natal have led to numerous people contacting Newcastillian News for guidance on the subject.
Reservoirs in many areas are struggling to fill, leaving residents to contend with ongoing outages. As stated above, Newcastillian News is currently engaging with the DWS and has been since Monday, to establish what is happening.
However, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a forecast on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, predicting rain and thunderstorms over large parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, 11 December 2024. But, as of Wednesday morning, no significant rainfall has been recorded. This saw the weather service issue a notice on Wednesday morning, stating that the heatwave, accompanied by persistent high temperatures, is expected to continue until Friday, 13 December 2024.
Taking the impact of the heatwave on water conditions into account, residents are urged to use water sparingly.
What are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 2
How can we use water sparingly if we dont get any water?
Municipality closes valves and areas on higher level stuck without water for 5 days now.
Newcastle municipality not even sending water trucks to the area.
We have to buy water for drinking/ flusing toilets/ washing/animals/ etc.
Nobody is helping , but we must pay monthly bills for water we dont get.
Please advise how do we use water sparingly if theres none?
So we traded loadshedding for watershedding? Of course no one is going to use water sparringly. When it comes back, we fill up our many containers in case it goes again. They’re not solving the problem they think they are by cutting the water