The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will open two more sluice gates this morning at the Vaal Dam. This implies a total of four gates will be open. This decision has been taken as the DWS continues to monitor the high inflows impacting on the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) and thus the Vaal Dam as one of the fourteen dams in the System. The opening of the sluice gate follows consistent heavy rains over the last couple of weeks in the catchments supporting the Integrated Vaal River System and the Orange River.

The Department will continue monitoring the System and will be guided by the activities of the weather and the kind of inflows continuously.

It continues to be critically important for all the farmers and other communities downstream of the dam to move their equipment away from the further expected heavy flows, as well as ensuring that no one takes a chance to cross low-lying bridges that could be flooded.

The two additional sluice gates will be opened as follows:

Date: Monday, 03 January 2022
Time: 10:00 am for the first additional gate; 11:00 am for the second additional gate.

All four (4) sluice gates will remain open till further activity is required. All valves will be closed in the meantime.

For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Director Media Liaison on 082 874 2942

Source: Government of South Africa