Vaal Dam. Image: Department of Water and Sanitation
Critical water levels at the Vaal Dam have seen some relief after the overflow gates at Grootdraai Dam in Mpumalanga were opened this week.
The development comes as recent data shows varying performances across South Africa’s major dams during the festive season.
According to the Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly report on Monday, the Vaal Dam is currently at 24.3% capacity.
This is a concerning drop from 67.4% recorded in the same period last year.
The dam, which is crucial to the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) that supplies Gauteng, had been losing approximately 1.5 percentage points weekly until December.
ALSO READ: Experts allay worries over decline in Vaal Dam level
Hartbeespoort Dam stands as one of the better performers, currently at 97.6% capacity, showing improvement from 93.9% last year and 96.2% last week.
Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga has maintained relatively stable levels at 78.1%, though down from 100.9% last year.
The massive Gariep Dam, South Africa’s largest reservoir, is currently at 71.1% capacity, a significant decrease from 106.2% recorded last year.
Sterkfontein Dam, serving as a crucial reserve, maintains healthy levels at 98.0%, slightly down from 100.1% last year.
Vanderkloof Dam follows a similar trend at 78.5% capacity, compared to 94.8% last year, while Elandskuil Dam shows notable recovery at 97.4%, up from 51.0% last year.
ALSO READ: Vaal Dam level continues to drop: Here’s what it and other reserves below 50% stood at this week
The opening of Grootdraai Dam’s sluice gates earlier than planned came after rapid water level increases due to substantial rainfall in the area.
This strategic release is expected to provide much-needed relief to the Vaal Dam, which had faced predictions of dropping to as low as 18% by March 2025 without intervention.
The situation at the Vaal Dam remains crucial for Gauteng, South Africa’s most populated province.
As a landlocked region, Gauteng relies heavily on the IVRS for both residential and industrial water supply.
While the Grootdraai Dam’s overflow provides immediate relief, continued monitoring of dam levels remains essential for water security in the region.
Analysis of the data reveals some dramatic shifts in dam levels across the country. Notable increases include Glen Alpine Dam, which now stands at 104.7%, marking one of the highest rises.
Last week the dam recorded a capacity of 57.6%, following heavy rains and storms in Limpopo in the past weeks, it increased by 47.1%.
Glen Alpine stood at 63.4% last year, around this time.
Gcuwa Dam in the Eastern Cape increased by 22.5% and is now sitting at 104.8%. Last week it was at 82.3%, and last year it was a bit higher at 111.1%.
Meanwhile, Elandskuil Dam in the North West currently stands at 97.4%, showing remarkable recovery by increasing from 73.6% last week, and 51% last year.
Even though there were significant increases in some dams, contrastingly, others saw substantial decreases in a short space of time.
Elandsdrift Dam in the Eastern Cape has the most notable decrease, dropping by 36.4% from 91.8% last week. Currently standing at 55.4%, the dam was around the same capacity last year (59.4%).
Though it still stands at a reasonable capacity, Welbedacht Dam was one of the highlights recording a 12.1% decrease, from 112.1% last week down to 100% this week.
Last year the dam stood at a lower capacity of 77.4%.
Driel Barrage Dam in KwaZulu-Natal dropped by 12.9%. This week it is at 74.3%, coming down from 87.2% last week. Last year the dam stood at a lower capacity of 68.1%.
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