Limpopo residents urged to save water as dam levels recover

The Department of Water and Sanitation for Limpopo has called on residents in the province to continue to use water sparingly despite the recent rainfall.

Limpopo dam levels Farmers in the Tzaneen Dam area have been urged to continue the reduction of their irrigation. The dam has improved from 17.66% last week to 18.42% this week, despite substantial improvements in other parts of the province.

The Glen Alpine Dam in Waterberg District is still only 17.91% this week which is a cause for worry for residents in the area. Thankfully, the Mokolo dam (80.56%), De Hoop dam (94.62) and Flag Moshielo dam (79.61) are all recovering well.

The overall dam levels of Limpopo dams have increased from 65.7% full last week to 66.3% full this week. The Doorndaai Dam, Glen Alpine Dam, Middel-Letaba Dam, Modjadji Dam and Tzaneen Dam remain critically empty (https://t.co/PkJXNmfcqT) pic.twitter.com/NiZBco4k63

IWULA Integrated Water Use License Applications (@IWULAManagement) March 1, 2019 The Vhembe District has benefitted the most from the rains. All the dams in this region are currently at or above 100% capacity.

Water shortages across the province The situation is quite dire in Louis Trichardt and Makhado. Residents are taking to Twitter to highlight the water shortage plight in the cities. One Twitter user known only as Mel, said:

The no water situation in Louis Trichardt or Makhado, Limpopo has reached its lowest point where the town goes 1 or 2 week without water before anything gets done about it. The town's own municipality is not in charge of the water instead its Vhembe.

According to Humana SA: People To People, water scarcity is still a major issue in Lyden, Limpopo and the situation continues to get worse. Two NGO's joined forces to hand over a borehole to the Kaditshwene village on Monday 4 March.

The water crisis in the Western Cape should be a warning to everyone that water conservation should not only be for times of scarcity. Water is a precious resource and residents should continuously be looking for ways to use water responsibly and sparingly.

Save water The provincial department of Water and Sanitation has taken this opportunity to remind residents that while water storage in parts of the province has increased to satisfactory levels overall, there is still a need for water restrictions to ensure that water supply can be sustainably provided in the future.

Save water by re-using greywater: for washing machines, flushing the toilets and watering the garden.

Keep showers as short as possible.

Close faucets when washing dishes, washing hands, brushing teeth or shaving.

Monitor your water meter for any leaks around the house, which could lead to a waste of water. Contact a leak detection service if you suspect an underground leak.

Bath with less water, or use the Bucket Bath method.

Only use the washing machine when you have enough items for a full load.

Report leaks to your local municipality to help the city save water.

How to save water. Photo: Western Cape Government Tags: Limpoposave waterSouth Africa

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/limpopo-dam-levels-update-6-march-2019...
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