Gauteng water supply stabilising as Vaal Dam level recovers

11 August 2021 - 11:55 By TimesLIVE
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The Integrated Vaal River System is at 85% this week, up from 62% at the same time last year.
The Integrated Vaal River System is at 85% this week, up from 62% at the same time last year.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

The Vaal Dam is at 90% capacity this week after sitting at 41% at the same time last year, creating “optimism for stable water supply”, says the water department.

The Vaal Dam is one of 14 dams that form the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS). The system is at 85% this week, also an improvement from the same week last year when it was at 62%.

Other key dam levels this week include the Grootdraai at 81.6%, Bloemhof 104.8% and Sterkfontein 99.9%, said the department.

After floating below the neutral 50% mark at this time last year, when it stood at a low of 30%, Lesotho’s Katse Dam has gradually replenished to 66.8%.

“The current level of the dam is a welcome relief as it remained worryingly in a shrunken state for a good period.”

However, the department said, “Despite having improved from a depressed state of 7.5% in the comparative period last year, another dam in Lesotho, the Mohale, continues to sit at dangerously strained levels of 31.2% this week.”

TimesLIVE


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