Water and Sanitation on Integrated Vaal River System water levels

IVRS levels are stable despite a drop this week

The Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) is continues at levels higher than it was a year ago as it remains at profoundly safe levels despite a decrease this week from the levels it recorded last week.

The system hovered at 82.3% last week, and it is presently at 81.7% a slight drop from last week’s levels. In the same period last year, it stood at 55.4%. This is testimony to the fact that the catchment areas have in the previous rainy season received a fair amount of rainfalls.

Consisting of 14 dams, the system is the largest in the country and straddles Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State, and the Northern Cape, with South Africa’s leading industries such Eskom and Sasol being supplied by it.

The Vaal Dam, which is one of the critical dams within the system, is presently over the 50% mark at 82.2%. This is slightly down from 83.2% it was at last week. Nevertheless, the dam is considerably higher compared to the 30.2% it recorded in the preceding year at the same time.

The Grootdraai Dam also took a knock this week, declining to 72.7% from 73.6% last week. During the same week last year, the dam was even higher at 76.4%.

Currently, the Sterkfontein Dam recorded a slight decline this week. It went down from 100.7% last week to 100.4% this week. Last year at the same time it was lesser at 94.2%.

Likewise, the Bloemhof Dam saw a drop in levels this week. It recorded a reduction from 99.0% last week to 97.8% this week. Compared to the levels of 85.3% during the same time last year, the dam has maintained good levels over the months.

In Lesotho, both the Mohale and the Katse dams dropped this week from their levels last week.

The Katse Dam fell from last week’s 66.4% to 66.0% this week while during the previous year in the same week it was at a concerning state and substantially low 21.8%. However, the dam has leaped up to the present levels, placing it in a much healthier state.

Now hovering at 31.9%, the Mohale Dam has decreased from the levels of the previous week when it was at 32.4%. Compared to the paltry levels of 3.0% at the same time last year, the dam has made substantial recovery. There is hope that in the coming months, the expected rains will recharge catchments in the Kingdom of Lesotho, such that both Katse and Mohale Dams can also recover.

Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942

Khulekani Ngcobo
Cell: 082 723 6030

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