Remain vigilant despite Vaal boost

It’s encouraging to see the Vaal Dam’s water level has shown significant improvement following the intermittent rains that have fallen over its catchment areas.

It’s the third straight week that the Vaal Dam has shown improvement. Prior to the recent rains, the Vaal Dam was shrinking week on week.

The pictures of dry docks at the Vaal Dam being circulated last week were concerning, prompting the department of water and sanitation to put out a statement where they said despite the low levels of water, there was no need to be alarmed.

On Friday the department issued a statement assuring Gauteng residents that “the province is not facing an imminent day zero”.

ALSO READ: Why the Vaal Dam doesn’t fill up after every thunderstorm

According to the department, the dam is one of 14 that form part of the Integrated Vaal River System so low levels do not mean instant and severe water shortages.

They said they could still tap into the system’s reserve dams – the Sterkfontein Dam (94.3%), the Grootdraai Dam (75.9%) or the Bloemhof Dam (86.2%).

The department said: “The Vaal Dam should not be seen in isolation but within the context of the system
which is in a relatively stable state, floating above the neutral 50% mark at 55.4%.”

The increase in water levels is certainly good news, but we still need to use our water sparingly.

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