Zuko Komisa

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has reported a significant rise in its water levels from 24.3% to 46.2% this week.
According to the department’s real-time data water levels surged dramatically overnight reaching 50.53%.
This is due to the severe rains that occurred this week in Gauteng and other provinces such as the North West, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
💧GOOD NEWS: VAAL DAM SURGES FROM 25.56% TO 50.5% FULL IN A WEEK, DUE TO RECENT HEAVY RAIN!!!
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) January 15, 2025
Department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, stated that the dam has been on a downward spiral for the previous few months, with the government planning to release water from the Sterkfontein Dam into the Vaal Dam to augment its levels when it hit 18% volume.
“The dam had experienced continuous decline over the past few months due to elevated temperatures which have led to increased evaporation losses, and the low inflows owing into the dam, due to lack of rainfall in the Vaal catchment.
“The current dam level is now plotting above 50% and there is a good inflow because of recent rainfall in the catchment. There is therefore no more a need for water release from Sterkfontein Dam to support Vaal Dam,” Mavasa said in a statement on Wednesday.
The department further stated that the recent rainfall has significantly improved surface water storage levels in the country’s dams with 79.8% this week, a huge increase as compared to last week’s 74.5%.
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