THE Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation has issued an urgent call to 
Eastern Cape residents to save water.
Thandile Ngcume of the department’s communication service said in a statement this morning that the persistent drought and scorching heat in the province were causing dam levels to drop sharply, thereby affecting the 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 appeals to all the people and business in the province to conserve water…”
Currently the dam levels in the Algoa system which includes Nqweba Dam, Corana Dam, Belfort Dam is at 54.8% compared to last year’s 93.1% at the same time. This is a sharp decline within a space of 12 months. The Amathole system – which includes dams such as Laing, Nahoon, Bridledrift, Wriggleswade – is at 72.7% compared to last year’s 93.9%.
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 is needed the most but the demand for water remains high.”
