Another three sluice gates will be opened today at the Vaal Dam after five were opened on Wednesday, 19 November.
Dr. Mandla Mathebula, Head of Communication at the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), said in a news release sluice gates will be opened at hourly intervals from 10:00 to 12:00, to gradually increase water outflows up to approximately from 707,860 to approximately 1132,576 cubic metres per second (mᵌ/s).
Water outflows at Bloemhof Dam will also be increased from 400 to 600 mᵌ/s this morning.
This is due to the rising water levels at both dams due to the ongoing rains in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, including other parts of the country where rains have been persistent. The Vaal and Bloemhof Dams have respectively recorded 109.26% and 99.62% this morning.
The eight sluice gates that will be opened by this aftrernoon will increase water releases, and this may cause a possible overflowing of the riverbanks downstream which will affect infrastructure built in lower-lying areas within the floodplain.
The Department of Water and Sanitation, therefore, issues a warning to communities to be alert to the rising water levels, particularly those around the Vaal Triangle, Parys, and low-lying areas next to the river. Farmers that have pumps and infrastructure directly next to the river are urged to take steps to safeguard them.
Those residing in the riparian areas of the Vaal River are also urged to be alert and remove valuable equipment, movable infrastructure, and livestock as river levels may continue to rise.
Mathebula said as part of the dam safety protocols, sluice gates are opened for controlled water releases when dam levels rise sharply and to prevent the water resource infrastructure from failing, as it may lead to dam bursting and causing a disaster of unimaginable magnitude. “The Department implements these necessary controlled water releases at the dams as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard the infrastructure and to protect human life.”
Mathebula says the department will continue to actively monitor the inflow water levels at both Vaal and Bloemhof Dams.
