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The Vaal Dam, which is major source of water supply for vast areas of Gauteng, has along with other major dams in the province tilted downwards this week and affecting the levels of the entire Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS).

Last week the Vaal Dam hovered at 103.4% while this week it stands at 103.0% and losing 0.4%. Last year during the same period, the dam stood at 100.4%.

The decline of the Vaal Dam and other dams is being felt as this is having an impact on the IVRS. The IVRS has moved down to 88.7% this week from 89.0% last week, recording a fall by 0.3%. In the preceding year at the time, the dam was floating at 85.0%. However, this year’s levels show an increase by 3.7% when compared to last year at the same time.

The IVRS is the backbone of the economic hub of Gauteng and consists of 14 dams.  It supplies both households and some of the industries that are the nerve centre of the province. Amongst others, these industries include Sasol and Eskom.

The Grootdraai Dam has seen a slight decline this week from 98.4% to 97.1% last week, moving down by 1.3% while last year at the same time it was standing at 91.7%.

At 102.7% this week, the Bloemhof Dam remains unchanged from last week’s levels. Last year at the same period the dam sat comfortably well above the 100% mark at 101.7%.

The Katse Dam dropped slightly this week by 0.6% from 65.6% last week to 65.0% this week. Last year at the same period the dam was slightly below 50% at 45.7%.

The Sterkfontein Dam this week fell by a negligible 0.1% from 96.3% last week to 96.2% this week.  During the same time last year the dam was at 90.6% which was slightly higher by 0.4% than the current level.

Equally sliding down to lower level, the Mohale Dam has seen a decrease from 34.6% last week to a lowly and concerning 33.9% this week. Compared to the same period last year this dam was much healthier at 64.6%

As the drop in the Vaal dam as well as the other dams continue to affect the standing of the IVRS, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is warning the public in Gauteng that the province is not out of the woods.

The Department stresses that reducing the consumption rate now will assist to ensure that the IVRS is able to see the needs of consumers until the next summer rainfalls without them panicking over the depleting levels in our dams.

Issued by the Department of Water & Sanitation