Staff Reporter.
Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says water outflows at Bloemhof Dam have been reduced, while the five sluice gates at the Vaal Dam remain open to manage the inflows of water into the dam.
The department said the outflows at Bloemhof Dam were decreased as the dam’s water levels subsided to 104.96%.
The water releases at the Bloemhof dam were reduced from 2 100 to 1900 cubic metres per second (mᵌ/s) at 12pm on Sunday.
The water outflows decrease follows Saturday’s reduction from 2500 mᵌ/s.
These adjustments are necessary to manage the sustained high inflows and ensure safe operation of the dam, said the department.
Meanwhile, at the Vaal Dam, the water levels have slightly dropped from Saturday’s 115.43% to 114.38% on Sunday, and the inflows from the upper catchment are at 877.38 mᵌ/s.
“The five sluice gates remain open, with a discharge of 813.380 mᵌ/s to manage the water levels at the dam. The controlled water releases at both the dams have led to overtopping of riverbanks downstream, resulting in flooding that has affected settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline,” the department said in a statement.
The department urged people living within the floodline of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams, who have been evacuated, to continue to avoid the flooded areas.
The department said it continues to monitor inflow water levels in the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), to ensure that necessary precautions are in place, in line with dam safety standards and hydrological monitoring systems to safeguard infrastructure and attenuate flood conditions.