Vereeniging: With the Vaal Dam water levels at 107.30%, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has opened a third sluice gate at the dam to increase water outflows and manage the increase of inflows. The third sluice gate, which was opened on Tuesday afternoon, will increase water outflows to approximately 400 cubic metres per second and manage the increase of inflows from upstream due to the ongoing rains.

According to South African Government News Agency, the department reassured that the current water releases by the three sluice gates are still within the safe operational limits and are not expected to lead to overtopping of riverbanks downstream. Grootdraai Dam, located in Mpumalanga in the Upper Vaal River Catchment and upstream of Vaal Dam, had one sluice gate opened by one metre, and has now been increased to 1.5 metres to increase the water releases. The dam is currently sitting at 103.37%.

At Bloemhof Dam, water outflows have been temporarily closed due to maintenance work currently underway. As soon as the maintenance is completed, water releases will resume and will be staggered over several hours to prevent wave-action flooding downstream, the department said in a statement. Additionally, increased outflows from Vaal Dam are expected to reach Bloemhof in three to four days and will result in water levels rising at the dam. If necessary, these increases will be managed by gradually increasing outflows from the dam. The dam levels are at 96.65%.

The department added that it is implementing these necessary water releases at the dams as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard infrastructure and ensure that there is full storage capacity after the rainfall season. The department opened the second sluice gate at the Vaal Dam on Friday, 28 March. The DWS is continuously monitoring the water levels in the Vaal River System.