Overflowing
water from the Gariep and Vanderkloof Dams are expected to benefit Nelson
Mandela Bay, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) announced today (Thursday).
According
to media liaison director at the DWS, Sputnik Ratau, transfers of water
spilling from these two dams are continuing through the 82-kilometre-long
Orange Fish Tunnel. “When these two biggest dams in the country are bursting at
the seams, they spill water into Orange River, through Orange Fish Tunnel, that
was built to divert water from the river down to Fish River, all the way to
Port Elizabeth,” Ratau explained.
“The
Eastern Cape continues to experience below normal rainfall even at the height
of tropical cyclone Eloise that swelled most dams and water streams in some
parts of the country.
“However,
the Algoa Water Supply System with dams that supply water to Nelson Mandela Bay,
is set to get a shot in the arm thanks to these spilling dams. The department
will monitor the impact this water will have on the Algoa Water Supply System
in an effort to recharge and ensure that it, along with the dams within it, do
not fail,” he said.
Currently,
the Algoa Water Supply System is at a paltry 18.6%, further down from the 19.2%
level it recorded last week. The system is further down from the 29.3% it
recorded during the same period last year.
This
means that currently, the system has a low of 52.5 cubic metres in store out of
281.6 cubic metres of its capacity.
One
of the major dams in the Algoa Water Supply System, the Kouga Dam, is
struggling at 8%, a drop from 8.4%. Other dams in the system such as the Impofu
(17%), Kromriver (50.5%), Loerie (68.6%) and Groendal (39.2%) are all declining
week on week.
The
Department of Water and Sanitation called on water users to be circumspect with
the way they consume water. “Water users are urged that when the rains come,
they must harvest and store water and relieve pressure from the water systems.”
Source: DWS media statement
