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The rising levels of dams within the Integrated Vaal River System’s (IVRS) bodes well for the system as their continued upsurge over the past months looks set to keep it well-positioned as the country prepares itself for the dry winter season. 

According to the Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly reservoir status report, the IVRS recorded an increase from last week’s 91.8% to 92.1% this week, while last year at the same time it stood at 66.2%. 

The IVRS is the biggest system in the country with 14 dams that supply water to Gauteng, the Free State and the North West. Key industries such as the petro-chemical company, Sasol, and the electricity-generation giant Eskom, also get supplied with water from the system via the Vaal Dam and Rand Water.  

On its part, the iconic Vaal Dam presently sits at 105.2%, up from 104.8% last week. In the preceding year at the same time, the dam was at 55.2%. Meanwhile, the last of the five sluice gates that were opened at the dam three weeks back has also been shut. The opening of the sluice gates was to allow water outflows from the dam as it had breached the 100% mark, and there was expectation that the activity in the Mozambican Channel would bring more rain to the System. 

Despite hovering above 100%, the Grootdraai Dam has this week recorded a slight decline from 102.6% last week to 101,5% this week. In the comparative period last year, the dam stood at 99.0%.

In contrast, the Sterkfontein Dam in the Free State slightly went up this week from 97.7% last week to 97.8% presently. Last year during the same week, the dam floated at 92.7%.

Similarly climbing up, the Bloemhof Dam rose to a significant 103.3% this week from 102.5% last week. The present levels of the dam are a drastic improvement from the 83.3% at which the dam stood during the same week last year. 

The progressive increase in the levels of the Katse Dam in Lesotho has seen its way up into a firm position.  The dam has risen from a miserable 34.0% at the same time last year and to 77.7% last week and to 78.5% this week.

In spite of the Mohale Dam still being below the 50% mark, the dam has made a remarkable recovery having recovered from a shrunken state of 13.1% this time last year.  This week the dam is lesser at 41.0% compared to last week’s 41.3%

The system’s other dams this week stand as follows:  

Woodstock -  95.7%

Zaaihoek -  82.5%

Jericho -  90.3%

Westoe – 98.9%

Vygeboom – 100.8%

Morgenstond – 85.4%

Heyshope – 85.9%

Nooitgedacht – 100.0%

Given that South Africa consumes more water per person than the world average, the Department of Water and Sanitation appeals to water consumers to continue to curtail water usage. The Department believes that limiting water consumption will have a positive impact on the stability of the dams and keeping water supply interruptions at bay.

Issued by the Department of Water & Sanitation