The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has decided to put on hold, a planned investigation into the use of flow manipulation to provide immediate relief from the algal blooms that had recently been occurring along the Vaal River. This would have involved making flow releases from the Vaal Dam and Vaal Barrage.
The latest information that has become available to the department, supplied by Randwater, indicates that increased flows originating from the rainfall of Wednesday the 7 March disturbed the algal mats which have now dissipated from the barrage.
The DWA has consequently decided that making additional releases from the Vaal Dam and Vaal Barrage at this point would not serve its purpose.
Sampling will however continue and should the algal mats reappear in the system, the DWA will be in a position to consider flow releases as a means of providing immediate relief from algae to the users of the Vaal Barrage and the downstream Vaal River.
In the meantime, the DWA will continue to work on putting medium and long term measures in place to reduce the nutrient loads.
Please contact:
Linda Page
Tel: 012 336 8250
Cell: 083 460 4482
Department of Water Affairs puts on hold release of water to clear algal blooms in the Vaal River
