The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on Thursday called on Gauteng residents to use their 67 minutes this Mandela Month towards cleaning freshwater sources and called on people to stop polluting water.

The DWS urged water users not to take water for granted, and pointed out that former President Nelson Mandela had emphasised that water was at the heart of the economic and social development of the country.

The department said that while the water levels of dams in Gauteng were healthy, water consumers needed to continue to reduce their water usage to a bare minimum. 

“It is vitally important for water consumers to realise that they have a role to play in ensuring that dams do not deplete so as to threaten the water supply of the province,” said the department.

Fourteen dams, which form part of the Integrated Vaal River System, are currently collectively at 93.9%, indicating a slight decline compared to the same period last year when the levels stood at 100.2%.

The Bon Accord dam is at 101.8%, Bronkhorstspruit dam at 86.7%, Rietvlei dam at 99.7%, Roodeplaat dam at 98.8 and Klipdrift dam at 101.8%.