Update on water releases from the Vaal, Bloemhof and Hazelmere Dams

As of today, the Vaal Dam will have five sluice gates open on Wednesday, 13 April 2022.

The fourth gate opened at 9:30 while the fifth opened just after midday.

This follows the announcement by the Department of Water and Sanitation to open three sluice gates the previous day due to the huge amount of inflows experienced because of the recent downpours.

The department’s Hydrology experts recommended water release from the Bloemhof Dam, which is downstream of the Vaal Dam.

And following the dire situation in KwaZulu-Natal, a decision has been reached for Umgeni Water to release water from the Hazelmere Dam, which is located to the north of Durban.

The department’s spokesperson Sputnik Ratau continues to caution residents living downstream to remain vigilant.

“We continue to call communities to steer clear of the dam as the outflow continues to surge.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and update the public as and when the information comes,” concluded Ratau

For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942

For media releases, speeches and news visit the Water & Sanitation portal at: www.dws.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa