With Mpumalanga dam levels continuing to drop, the Department of Water and Sanitation has called on all consumers in the province to intensify their water saving efforts until the next summer rains.

The call comes against the backdrop of a dwindling water situation in Mpumalanga where some dam levels have plummeted alarmingly.

“The only thing that can be done to save the situation is a drastic behavioural change in water consumption. Out of the 669 dams available in the province, 23 are categorised as key dams as their contribution is of significance towards water services in the province.

“The province is governed by three district municipalities and 17 local municipalities with a total household population of 1 238 861 and total human population of 4.5 million,” the department said.

The department announced that it has set aside millions of rands to mitigate water scarcity in regions that are experiencing dry conditions.

It is planning to spend R28 million to revamp dwindling water resources in Bushbuckridge. The protest-plagued area relies almost exclusively on Inyaka Dam to serve about 20 villages with 90 000 people from Mariti up to Dwarsloop.

An amount of R18 million was also allocated to Dr JS Moroka during the 2018/19 financial year to augment water supply through groundwater development.