The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is opening up three more sluice gates at the Vaal dam on Thursday to manage rising inflows after persistent rainfall across the Vaal river system.

With two gates opened at 10:00 and 12:00 respectively, and a third to be opened at 14:00, the number of sluice gates open at the dam will be 10.

The DWS urgently appeals to communities along the Vaal river, particularly those in the Vaal Triangle, Parys and other riparian settlements, to remain vigilant and monitor rising river levels closely.

The opening of sluice gates is a standard operating procedure and a critical dam safety measure implemented when water levels rise sharply, and controlled releases help prevent overtopping.

With increased releases from the Vaal dam, downstream areas may experience overflowing riverbanks, which could affect infrastructure located in low-lying zones of the floodplain.

Farmers and residents with pumps, movable equipment or infrastructure situated close to the water’s edge are advised to take immediate steps to secure their assets. Livestock and valuable property should be moved to higher ground.

Both the Vaal and Bloemhof dams remain above 100%, necessitating continuous monitoring and proactive intervention.

No changes were made to the outflows of the Bloemhof dam, which remains steady at about 1 000 m³/s.

The DWS remains on high alert and will continue to conduct real-time monitoring of inflows at both Vaal and Bloemhof dams.