The Vaal dam is expected to reach 100% capacity soon, if current rainfall volumes continue, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said on Friday.
The dam was 81.6% full by Friday and water levels were rising fast, owing to the torrential rains of the last two weeks.
Two sluice gates at the Vaal dam would be opened on Sunday.
Projections by hydrologists have also estimated the Bloemhof dam in North West will be 100% full by Saturday, with eight sluice gates scheduled to be opened.
In North West, all provincial dams are full to capacity, with the exception of the Molatedi and Klein Marico dams. The DWS is also closely monitoring the Mearns dam in KwaZulu-Natal, which is now at 121.83%, while the Umgeni storage system’s capacity stood at 54.32%.
The Marico, Crocodile (West), Vaal, Vals, Wilge, Caledon, Upper Orange and Tugela rivers are all flowing strongly and dams are already filling up, while the Molatedi dam, in the Groot Marico river system reached 50%, the Hartbeespoort dam 100%, with gates opened, and the Roodekoppies dam standing at 106%, with all eight gates open.
On Friday, the Gariep dam measured 71.8%, Bloemhof dam 64.5% and Grootdraai dam 102%, with gates opened.
“Care should be taken downstream of dams and on the floodplains of all rivers in the central and northern provinces. A number of flash floods have already occurred, driven by high-intensity, local rainfalls in areas like Newcastle, Wolmaransstad and Koster, in North West; Koppies dam in the Free State and lately near Augrabies in the Northern Cape,” the DWS said.
Despite the rising water levels, the department appealed to South Africans to continue their adherence to water restrictions.
Edited by: Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online
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