PERSISTENT drought and scorching heat in the Eastern Cape has caused dam levels to drop sharply, affecting water supply.
Certain areas around the province have implemented water restrictions due to the high water demand and less supply forcing citizens to use water sparingly. Because of the low dam levels, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has appealed to all residents and businesses in the province to conserve water to meet the needs of the current and future generation.
The DWS said present dam levels in the Algoa system, which includes Nqweba Dam, Corana Dam, Belfort Dam to mention just a few is at 54.8% compared to last year’s 93.1% at this time of the year. This is a sharp decline within a space of 12 months. The Amathole system which includes dams such as Laing, Nahoon, Bridledrift, Wriggleswade to mention just a few is at 72.7% compared to last year’s 93.9% at this time of the year.
On average the dam levels in the Eastern Cape are sitting at 58.3% compared to 73.3% at this time of the year in 2016. This is a cause for concern because the rain is very scarce particularly in areas where it’s needed the most but the demand for water remains high.
