Summer is the time of picnic and sunbathing with visits to water sites including the biggest water monuments such as dams, structures that hold back water and help control the flow of water in waterways. Many lakes are formed by dams which also help control floods and provide hydroelectric power, a renewable energy source. This is a time where most fatalities are reported near or at dams due to non-compliance to dam safety rules and regulations.
ALSO READ: 10 Essential water safety tips everyone living or holidaying on the coast should know
Before going to the dam check daily or weekly dam levels released by Department of Water and Sanitation as your guiding tool for safety.
Getting too close to dams can be dangerous. Calm water can quickly, and without warning, become a surge of fast-moving water. This fast-moving water creates strong undercurrents that cannot always be seen from the surface and can drown even the strongest swimmer. Strong currents and undercurrents can cause anyone who enters the water near a dam to be washed downstream, through the structure, or become pinned against the structure and unable to escape result in drowning or fatal injuries.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has placed signs, fences and safety booms to warn you of dam hazards. These must be observed at all times when entering dam sites.
At overflow spillways, it can be difficult to see the vertical drop that may occur at the outflow of a dam. Being washed through a dam or falling from the structure could lead to significant injuries that could even be fatal.
Water levels and flow change quickly near a dam. Increased water flow can cause normally dry areas to pool water, which could result in a person being stranded without an escape route or swept into strong currents. If water levels begin to change near a dam, back away from the dam immediately. Never stand, fish, or anchor your boat below a dam. Water levels change quickly and can swamp your boat or pull you into an undertow.
Avoid sunbathing, picnicking or camping in an area which may become flooded due to dam operations. Stay off dam structures unless an area is clearly marked for public travel. Visitors should stay clear of operational equipment.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on WhatsApp 082 421 6033
