Johannesburg: The water and sanitation department has opened three sluice gates at the Vaal Dam on Friday. Recent heavy rains in the province have resulted in a spike in dam levels in the country's largest water system.

The Vaal Dam was sitting below 29 percent capacity just three months ago. The department said that it needed to urgently release water due to river flows from the upper Vaal rapidly filling up the dam.

Spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said: “…so that we can accommodate what is expected to come from the rains that are expected in the next while. This activity will take place this morning at the Vaal Dam, and we are expecting that by 12pm we will have at least three gates open.”

The recent heavy rainfall over many parts of the country resulted in the dam reaching just over 106 percent capacity. The last time the dam was this full was in 2017. According to the department, the water was released from the dam in anticipation of more rainfall expected over the Orange River System (ORS).

 “Initial analysis had indicated that there was a need for the opening of three gates. However, the latest analysis showed that there was a need to open two more.

“The release of the water, which will flow into the Bloemhof Dam, is in anticipation of rainfalls expected over the ORS and the river flows from the Upper Vaal rapidly filling the Integrated Vaal River System and particularly the Vaal Dam,” said the department.

It is expected that the released water will show an impact on the water bodies in the Northern Cape from 15 February.

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