A total of 10 sluice gates are now in operation at the Vaal Dam, after authorities opened four more on Friday, to manage rising water levels.
This comes after water levels risen rapidly overnight in the Vaal Dam due to heavy inflows on the upper catchments, as a result of the continuous above-normal rainfall on already saturated catchments.
In a statement, the department announced that an additional four sluice gates were opened gradually on Friday from 09:00 until 13:00.
Manage the rising inflows
“This will bring the total number of gates open at the dam to 10. The dam is currently sitting at 118.48% with an inflow of 2448.24 cubic metres per second (m3/s) into the dam.
“At Bloemhof Dam, water outflows are also being increased incrementally at different times from 2000 m3/s to 2200 m3/s at 9am; 2400 m3/s at 11am; 2600 m3/s at 1pm; and 2800 m3/s by 3pm. The dam level is currently sitting at 110.27% as of this morning,” the department said.
These adjustments are necessary to manage the continuous rising inflows and safe operation of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams.
With more inflows anticipated into the dams, especially the downstream Bloemhof Dam, the department warned outflows may potentially be increased on Saturday.
“At Grootdraai Dam, the already opened gate has been increased to 2.5 metres (m) due to the higher inflows of 967.47 m³/s. The storage level is at 110.08%. The gate will be increased to 3m at 09:00, and a second gate will be opened at 11:00 to 1m.
“In the Orange River, the Gariep and the Vandekloof Dams are currently sitting at 108.25% and 106.09% respectively and overspilling.
“The controlled and uncontrolled water releases at all these dams will lead to overtopping of riverbanks downstream of the Orange and the Vaal Rivers, resulting in flooding of settlements that are in the lower-lying areas within the 1 in 100-year floodline,” the department said.
People living within the floodline downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams, and have had to evacuate, have been urged to continue to avoid the flooded areas, as the river catchment remains oversaturated.
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