It rose from 46.2% to 50.53% on Tuesday night.
The department’s spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, said the dam had been in steady decline for months. Plans have already been made to release water from the Sterkfontein Dam should levels drop to 18%.
However, the recent heavy rainfall in Gauteng and other provinces, including North West, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, has made this moot.
The rainfall has also boosted the Integrated Vaal River System, which supplies water to Gauteng and key industries.
The system has increased from 71.4% to 79.4%.
Overall, the country’s dam storage levels have risen from 74.5% to 79.8% this week.
Provinces with the most significant increases include Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, up by 10.2%, with Mpumalanga rising to 93.1% and KwaZulu-Natal to 91.2%.
Limpopo saw a 9.4% increase, while North West and Free State also recorded substantial gains.
Mavasa said more rainfall is expected in central and eastern areas, which could further improve water storage levels next week.
Despite these improvements, Mavasa urged residents to continue conserving water and to avoid flooded areas for safety.
“We appeal to members of the public to stay away from the rivers, lakes and dams, especially in the low-lying areas. Pedestrians should avoid crossing bridges, and motorists should also refrain from driving through flooded areas, even though the water seems to be shallow.”
Some regions, like the Northern Cape and parts of the Eastern Cape, saw slight decreases but remained stable.
“The water levels in the Eastern Cape are stable, slightly dropping from 81.7% to 81.4%. Algoa WSS, which supplies Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Sarah Baartman District, Kouga Local Municipality and Gamtroos Irrigation, has also slightly dropped from 81.2% to 80.2% this week,” said Mavasa.
“Butterworth Water Supply System has remained unchanged this week with 97.8%, and Amathole WSS is stable at 98.5% this week.
” The system has a total of six dams that serve Bhisho, Buffalo City, and East London. Klipplaat WSS, which serves Chris Hani District Municipality, has also dropped from 90.4% to 89.1%.”
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