Engineering News

Gauteng dam levels are at a whopping 98%, according to a weekly Department of Water and Sanitation report.

The latest levels, following heavy rains in the province last weekend, make the dams the fullest in the country, the department said.

It said the levels were 12% higher than those recorded in the same period in 2017.

"Vaal Dam, which straddles across [the] Free State, Mpumalanga and [the] Northern Cape, boasts an average [of] 85%. [It] is likely to increase its levels if more rain comes down in the next few weeks," the department said.

It added that the Free State and the Northern Cape recorded 85.6% and 81.8% respectively at the time of the rains.

Meanwhile, the department said dam levels in the Western Cape remained stable at 73.4% - twice the levels recorded in the same period in 2017.

The Eastern Cape recorded an average of 72.2% "bringing relief to the drought-stricken Gamtoos Valley in the western part of the province", the department said.

The department added that KwaZulu-Natal's dam levels were recorded at 59.7% - a fractional drop from last week's 60%.

"Even though most parts of the country look stable, the Department of Water and Sanitation would like to caution water users not to get carried away and to use water sparingly," it said.