South Africa: Water and Sanitation reports stable conditions at Vaal Dam and Bloemhof Dam

 

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) reports that the Vaal Dam and the broader Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) continue to perform strongly, maintaining stability in line with the latest weekly reservoir status update. This positive outlook is supported by the ongoing rainfall season.

The Vaal Dam remains above full capacity, currently at 103.17%, with no measurable change compared to last week. This sustained level highlights both the resilience of the system and the effectiveness of the Department’s strategic management.

The IVRS, which supplies water to Gauteng and surrounding provinces, also reflects consistent performance, holding steady at 100.8%. Such stability underscores efficient management practices and proactive planning to strengthen drought resilience and ensure sufficient water availability ahead of the peak summer rainfall season.

Key dams within the system recorded the following status:

• Sterkfontein Dam (Free State): Stable at 100.1%, unchanged from the previous report.
• Bloemhof Dam: Slight decline to 98.13%.
• Grootdraai Dam (Mpumalanga): Currently at 101.71%, reflecting a minor decrease from 102.1% previously.

Storage facilities linked to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) also show encouraging trends:

• Katse Dam: Improved from 100.4% to 100.8%.
• Mohale Dam: Recorded a marginal decrease from 102.5% to 102.3%.

These figures collectively demonstrate the strong performance of the system, supported by consistent inflows and reliable management.

DWS remains committed to maintaining a proactive approach to flood preparedness and hydrological risk management. The Department continues to track inflows closely and provides early warnings and technical updates to all relevant stakeholders.

Earlier this year, DWS advised that some dams could be maintained at higher storage levels in anticipation of a potentially dry summer. However, the latest seasonal outlook from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) now anticipates above-normal rainfall for the current season.

To support operational planning: 

• DWS engages with SAWS monthly to review forecast conditions. 
• Meeting frequency is increased during heavy rainfall periods to support timely decision-making. 
• While forecasts guide strategic planning, they do not provide the precise short-term information required for real-time flood operations, which rely on local hydrological measurements. 

As the national custodian of the country’s water resources, DWS issues alerts, tracks catchment conditions, and offers technical support. Operational disaster response such as evacuations and emergency relief falls under the mandate of local, district, and metropolitan disaster management authorities.

During flood situations, DWS implements its Flood Preparedness Plan and submits continuous situation updates to the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) and other intergovernmental structures to maintain coordinated action across all levels of government.

The Department also underscores that water security in the IVRS should not be viewed solely through the status of the Vaal Dam. The system functions as an integrated network supported by several reservoirs and inter-basin transfer schemes, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Water and Sanitation, Republic of South Africa.