Water outflows at Bloemhof Dam have been reduced, says the Department of Water and Sanitation, while the five sluice gates at the Vaal Dam remain open to manage the inflows of water into the dam.
The dapertment 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.”
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 on Sunday.
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.
“As part of the dam safety protocols, sluice gates are opened when dams breach the full capacity mark, to prevent the water resource infrastructure from failing as it may lead to a dam bursting and causing a disaster of unimaginable magnitude.
“The department is therefore implementing these necessary controlled water releases at the dams as part of dam safety precautions to safeguard the infrastructure and protect human life,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
