Rainfall boosts Vaal Dam water level | Sedibeng Ster

The Vaal Dam has shown remarkable recovery over the past week, rising from 24.3% to 46.2%.

The Department of Water and Sanitation 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%.

“Although the dam has experienced a continuous decline over the past few months due to increased temperatures leading to increased evaporation losses, and due to the low inflow to the dam due to lack of rainfall in the Vaal catchment, there is now a good inflow thanks to recent rainfall in the Vaal Dam catchment area,” said Mavasa.

According to Mavasa, indications are that the Vaal Dam’s level may rise to over 50%.

The rainfall has also boosted the Integrated Vaal River System, which supplies water to Gauteng and key industries.