The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has released a weekly report on the status of dams report this week that indicates the Vaal Dam has marginally decreased from last week’s 105.9% to 105.0%.
The Department will ensure that the dam remains above full supply capacity until mid-spring when the summer rainfall season commences. DWS is maintaining these high levels from an operational water supply strategy and drought resilience perspective.
Since yesterday at 08:00, the Department activated dilution releases of 40 cubic metres per second (m³/s) in addition to the current discharge 16.7 cubic metres in the Vaal Dam to 56.7 m³/s until Friday, 19 September 2025 at 08:00. The purpose of the slight increase in the releases is to lower the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the river that have accumulated over time. These releases will not make material impact to the water levels in the dam or the flows in the river to a naked eye.
The forecasts by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) indicates that the early and mid-spring rainfall is expected to be above-normal over the eastern and south-eastern regions of the country, while most other regions may experience below-normal rainfall.
The IVRS has shown stability with a slight reduction from 99.3% last week to 98.7% this week. Other key dams within the system have reported the following changes:
- Grootdraai Dam: decreased from 97.5% to 96.6%
- Sterkfontein Dam: remained steady at 99.0%
- Bloemhof Dam: decreased from 103.5% to 101.2%
Water levels in the Lesotho Highlands continue to display mixed movements:
- Katse Dam: improved slightly from 91.1% to 91.4%
- Mohale Dam: declined from 92.8% to 90.4%
The DWS has put in place comprehensive flood preparedness measures in consultation with specialists and relevant stakeholders. These measures include:
- Strengthened governance and operational arrangements
- Enhanced real-time hydrological data collection via an extensive network of gauging stations
- Improved coordination with disaster management structures
The Department underscores the importance of maintaining high dam storage levels as part of its operational strategy to ensure water security and drought resilience while preparing adequately for possible flood events in the coming months.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
Maria Lebese
Gauteng DWS Communication
Cell: 082 611 9264
E-mail: lebesem@dws.gov.za
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