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The Vaal Dam’s operators opened the sluice gates for the first time in years on Sunday after torrential summer rains pushed capacity at the dam close to the 100% mark. The dam was at around 95% on Saturday.
Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane was addressing the media at the event, where she said that she hoped South Africans would continue to heed the lesson of responsible water use.
She thanked those in Gauteng who had adhered to the water restrictions during the drought.
Depending on how much water continues to flow into the dam would determine if and how much water gets released in the days ahead.
Gauteng’s dams are now collectively above 90% full.
Mokonyane said it would remain important to repair and improve the existing water infrastructure in order to deal with future drought conditions.
She also warned that there was a risk of flooding for some communities.