Johannesburg – Due to the increased inflows from ongoing rainfall in the Vaal River catchment, the Department of Water and Sanitation has opened a fourth sluice gate at the Vaal Dam.
The department said to manage water levels at the dam, the fourth gate was opened at 10 am, on Saturday, (5 April 2025).
“The current water storage levels at the dam are at 107.82%,” the department said.
“The outflows will increase from 400 to approximately 550 cubic metres per second (mᵌ/s).
“The current water releases by the four sluice gates are still within the safe operational limits and are not expected to lead to overtopping of riverbanks downstream.”
The department, however, warned all those in the riparian of the Vaal River to start removing valuable equipment, movable infrastructure, and livestock.
This was to avoid any possible damage in case riverbanks swell from inflows from the tributaries.
Releasing updates of other dam levels, the department said: “At Bloemhof Dam, storage levels have risen to 103.23% and water releases will be staggered incrementally from the current 600 mᵌ/s to 700 m³/s at 10 am; 800 m³/s at 12h00; 900 m³/s at 14h00 and the last increase at 16h00 to 1000 cumecs”.
The department said the increased outflows from Vaal Dam are expected to reach Bloemhof Dam in three to four days.
The department said this will result in water levels rising at the Bloemhof and overtopping of the riverbanks, and they will affect all those at the riverbanks downstream at the Lower Vaal Catchment.
“At Grootdraai Dam, located in Mpumalanga in the Upper Vaal River Catchment, upstream of Vaal Dam, one sluice gate remains open at two metres to enable the water releases,” the department said.
“The dam is currently sitting at 102.06%.”
The department said it was implementing necessary controlled water releases at the dams as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard the infrastructure, while ensuring full storage capacity after the rainfall season.
The department said it was continuously monitoring the water levels in the Vaal River System.
