https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Western Cape dams: Careful water use urged as levels remain 'steady'

27th August 2019

By: News24Wire

  

Font size: - +

The Western Cape's overall dam levels remained "steady", dropping slightly from 65.9% last week to the current 65.7%, but the City of Cape Town's dams went up 0.01% to 81.8%.

However, although the levels are more positive than the pre-two-minute shower days of 2017, cautious water use was urged as the rainy season tapers off.

"The Western Cape is a winter rainfall area and we get the bulk of our rainfall largely in these months to the end of August," said Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell on Monday.

"While we have seen a massive improvement in dam levels around the province over the past few weeks we can never be comfortable enough. We want to urge continued responsible water usage."

The City warned that although its dam levels were positive, the hot, dry, and windy months were coming.

Even though residents, businesses and visitors are still using under 650 million litres per day, this year's rainfall was not as much as hoped for.

Water consumption in the city came in at 568 million litres per day between August 19 and 25.

"Residents should note that fuller dams do not necessarily mean we are out of the woods yet," said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste Xanthea Limberg.

Here are the latest dam level figures:

Voëlvlei Dam -  87.2%  full this week (2018: 67%. Last week:  86% )Berg River Dam -  99.7%  full this week (2018: 93.1%. Last week:  100% ).Theewaterskloof Dam - 71.6%  full this week (2018: 45.2%. Last week:  71.5% ) Clanwilliam Dam -  98.6%  full this week (2018: 99%. Last week:  98.8% )

In the meantime, preparatory work has started on the R3.5bn long-term project to raise the wall of Clanwilliam Dam for agriculture purposes.

The national department of water and sanitation project is expected to be completed in 2023.

The Western Cape legislature was told last week that work was also under way to form a committee to allocate water fairly when the project was completed.

Clearing alien vegetation from water catchment areas is also taking place.

Edited by News24Wire

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Showroom

Rosond
Rosond

ROSOND provides fast, efficient, safe, and cost-effective drilling and grouting services to mining and exploration industries throughout Africa.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
AirNox Pty Ltd
AirNox Pty Ltd

AirNox (Pty) Ltd is a level 1 BBBEE manufacturer of complete AdBlue® solutions for operators of SCR diesel engines and AUS40 across South Africa...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







301

sq:0.083 0.846s - 139pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now