Sterkfontein water to replenish the Vaal Dam #CAP

The release of water from the dam will drop its level by 7%. Current levels at the dam, the backbone of the province’s water supply, are at around 94%.

Volumes of water are expected to be released from the Sterkfontein Dam today in an attempt to replenish the Vaal Dam, which is currently only 26% full, reports The Citizen.

The Sterkfontein Dam is a reserve storage for the Vaal Dam. Today’s planned event comes in the wake of a drought which has gripped most parts of the country.

Several municipalities in Gauteng have already implemented level 2 water restrictions, which, among others, prohibit residents from making use of hosepipes to either wash their cars or water their gardens between 6am and 6pm.

Spokesperson for the department of water affairs Sputnik Ratau said today’s event comes at a time when the entire Vaal River system is under strain from the drought.

“A decision was taken to make use of the reserves from Sterkfontein Dam to replenish the Vaal Dam so that it can be at an adequate level.

“Once we release the water from Sterkfontein Dam, it will take between 11 and 15 days for it to reach the Vaal Dam,” he said.
Ratau said 20 cubic metres of water per second will be released today, while the discharge will be escalated to about 70 cubic metres per second in the coming days before being decreased back to 20 cubic metres per second.

“We expect the final replenishing process to be completed by the end of this month.

“This is not something that happens every year, but it happens whenever the dam levels are at about 25% or at a threatening level,” Ratau said.

The release of water from Sterkfontein Dam will drop the dam’s level by 7%. Current levels at the dam are at around 94%.

Ratau again called on residents to use water sparingly. The City of Joburg warned in recent weeks that level 3 water restrictions could be implemented if residents flouted water regulations.

During a recent heatwave, several areas in and around Johannesburg experienced water shortages with reservoirs running low and a spike in water consumption.

A reservoir at one of the affected areas in Meadowlands had to be closed to repair a burst pipe at the weekend, while reservoir levels in Kensington and surrounding areas were also low.

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