To ease water shortages in the Free State, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has granted approval for the release of water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).

The water would be released from the Katse dam at the Clarens release point, but the exact date of the release was yet to be finalised.

The DWS said the water would augment supplies in the province, where dam levels were low, owing to below-normal rainfall.

It added that water restrictions had already been implemented in the province to achieve a saving of at least 20% in water use from the Caledon–Modder river systems.

The department warned farmers along the Little Caledon and Caledon rivers of possible higher water levels, once the water was released, but also stressed that the additional water was for human consumption only and not for irrigation purposes.

The LHWP is a binational project between South Africa and Lesotho. Phases 1A and B saw the construction of the Katse and Mohale dams, which supply South Africa with 780-million cubic metres a year of water.

Phase 2, which was launched in March 2014 and which was expected to be completed at a cost of about R17.5-billion by 2024, would increase water supply from Lesotho to South Africa to 1.26-billion cubic metres a year.

It would entail the construction of the Polihali dam, the extension of the Muela hydroelectric complex, the construction of a 38.2 km water transfer tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir with the hydroelectric complex, and related infrastructure.