Vaal Dam water levels drop further below half, much lower than last year

In the coming week, hot weather is expected to loom across South Africa. 14 dams that provide water to Gauteng comprised by the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) have shown stability despite the water level drop from 80.2% to 79.6% in the last week.

“The Vaal Dam dropped from 48.1% to 47.2%. It registered a higher 87.6% during the same period last year,” said the Department of Water and Sanitation on Wednesday.

Despite the current declining water levels, the department spokesperson Andile Tshona reassured the public of concerted efforts by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) entities to ensure sustainable water supply in the province.

He further encouraged communities to report any forms of water leaks and infrastructure vandalism to municipalities.

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Water levels at dams

“Grootdraai Dam has experienced a slight decrease from 83.2% to 82.3% this week, compared to 89.9% at the same time last year,” said the department.

The Sterkfontein Dam in the Free State maintained a healthy level of 98.2% this week. Faintly decreasing from 98.4% in the last week. During the same period last year, the dam recorded 99.6%.

“Water levels at Bloemhof Dam have shown a slight decrease this week, dropping from 91.1% to 90.6%”.

However, the dam demonstrated high and steady water levels for several weeks compared to last year when it was at full capacity at 103.6%.

Lesotho dams

Lesotho dams, Mohale and Katse have remained stable this week, with only a slight decrease observed at Katse Dam compared to the previous week.

The Katse Dam decreased marginally this week, from 71.8% to 70.5%.

“Comparatively, during the same week last year, it recorded at 92.5%”, said the department.

From the previous week, Mohale Dam’s water level has remained unaltered at 100.6%. It stood at a lower 93.4% last year at this time.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a binational water project between Lesotho and South Africa. It aims to harness the water resources of the Lesotho Highlands to supplement the water supply in South Africa’s Gauteng province.

The correlation between the LHWP and IVRS is that LHWP supplies water to the IVRS. Specifically to the Vaal Dam which is a critical component of the IVRS.

This ensures reliable and sustainable water supply for areas in South Africa.

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