Water Tumbles Down Table Mountain As Dept Announce Enough Water To Last Through Winter
Hikers in the Western Cape, South Africa, have found themselves blessed by an abundance of water tumbling down Table Mountain as the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced the good news that, thanks to recent rains, there’s enough water to last the country through its dry winter to the summer. Local resident Helen […]
Hikers in the Western Cape, South Africa, have found themselves blessed by an abundance of water tumbling down Table Mountain as the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced the good news that, thanks to recent rains, there’s enough water to last the country through its dry winter to the summer.
Local resident Helen During, who was walking Sunday morning with family and friends on Table Mountain, between Kloof corner and Platteklip Gorge, said: “Water everywhere on the mountain – tumbling over and through every nook and cranny.
“The sights and sounds of the sheer abundance of water was glorious to experience…”
According to the DWS’ latest weekly report, the current winter rainfall in the Western Cape has boosted South Africa’s water capacity to high levels with statistics showing that there is “sufficient water in reservoirs for use until the next summer rains”.
As reported by SAPeople last week, the Western Cape dam levels reached the 50% mark after torrential rains in the last couple of weeks. (See more glorious photos of Theewaterskloof Dam here.)
The Western Cape is actually in for more downpours over the next three months, with the DWS predicting the figure is “likely to increase dramatically”.
The Department’s weekly report estimates the current national storage is at 23 209.4 cubic metres out of a capacity of 32 321 cubic metres.
The rains have raised hopes of a bumper season among wine producers and citrus farmers in Stellenbosch and the Boland.
The Free State tops all the provinces with an estimated 15 945 cubic metres of water stored in the province’s reservoirs in past months. The current provincial dam levels stands at 86.7%.
Mpumalanga has recorded the second largest storage at 2 538, 6 cubic metres, with the Western Cape following at 1 865.7 cubic metres.
Gauteng has the highest dam levels at 94.4% this week, but the province has fewer and smaller dams compared to other provinces.
Dam levels in the Northern Cape are estimated at 86.8%.
In the North West, Klerkskraal and Potchefstroom Dams are at full capacity with 100.4 and 100.8% respectively, while the situation remains dire in regions such as Madibeng, Ngaka Modiri and Madibogo.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the water situation is “satisfactory” with the average dam level at 63.3%, a slight drop by 2% compared to the same period last year. (View below of Umkomaas on Friday, by Colinda Kvam.)
Limpopo has recorded only four dams that are full to capacity. The province has so far managed to store 929.1 cubic metres of water on a capacity of 1 522.3 cubic metres.
Consumers’ fantastic water-saving habits have “contributed immensely” to the country’s water storage, said the department, and they are urged to continue.
Intervention in Makhanda continues
Meanwhile, the DWS is refurbishing a plant that supplies water to Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, which has been affected by acute water shortage in the past months. The four-phased project will be completed in June 2021 at a cost of R237 million, the department said.
Sources include: SANews.gov.za
WATCH Sudden and quick downpour in Central Cape Town last night.
Filmed by Alan Rudnicki:
Glorious #rain in #CapeTown last night. A brilliant quick and sudden downpour. Filmed in Central Cape Town by Alan Rudnicki. pic.twitter.com/pJH03ep28l
— South Africa People – SAPeople.com (@sapeople) July 7, 2019