Department monitors Vaal Dam levels
Mavasa said the rising of the dam levels has also boosted the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) that provides water to Gauteng and key industries within the province that has shot up from 71.4% to 79.4% this week.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is closely monitoring the Vaal Dam after the dam’s water levels drastically increased from last week’s 24.3% to 46.2% this week.
According to the department’s real time data, the water levels have again significantly increased overnight to 50.53%.
Departmental spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, said the dam has, for the past few months, been on a downward spiral with the department making plans to release water from the Sterkfontein Dam into the Vaal Dam, to augment its levels when it reached 18% in volume.
However, Mavasa said this will no longer be necessary, as the dam is rapidly rising. This is due to this week’s heavy rainfall experienced in Gauteng, and other provinces, including North West, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.
She said the department is now clear of the risk of the dam dropping below its minimum operating level of 18%.
“The dam had experienced continuous decline over the past few months due to elevated temperatures which have led to increased evaporation losses, and the low inflows owing into the dam, due to lack of rainfall in the Vaal catchment.
“The current dam level is now plotting above 50% and there is a good inflow because of recent rainfall in the catchment. There is therefore no more a need for water release from Sterkfontein Dam to support Vaal Dam,” Mavasa said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mavasa said the rising of the dam levels has also boosted the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) that provides water to Gauteng and key industries within the province that has shot up from 71.4% to 79.4% this week.
“Recent rainfall has significantly improved surface water storage levels in the country’s dams with 79.8% this week, a huge increase as compared to last week’s 74.5%. Although the heavy and disruptive rainfall has resulted in localised flooding in those provinces, it has also boosted their Water Supply Systems significantly,” Mavasa explained.
While the surface water storage capacity has improved in the majority of the country’s dams in most provinces, the department reiterated its call on citizens to continue to use water sparingly. – SAnews.gov.za