The Integrated Vaal River System’s (IVRS) water levels continued to surged this week, rising to steady levels as the system persists to be replenished by persisting wet weather conditions.

The system (IVRS) consists of 14 dams which provide water to some parts of the Gauteng Province, including households and industries such as the economically vital electricity generation giant Eskom and the petrol chemical Sasol.

Presently, the average level of the system is at 78.1%, from 76.6% last week and it was 64.5% at the same time in the preceding year. Despite the increase in the levels of the system, the Department of Water and Sanitation urges Gauteng water users to use water with caution by cutting back their usage.

The Vaal Dam, one of critical dams in the system and key to supplying water to households and industry, has recorded an increase this week as it rose from 74.5% last week to 75.0% this week. During the same period last year, the system stood at relatively acceptable levels of 56.2%.

Whereas the Grootdraai Dam was at 101.6% last week, the dam is presently reduced at 100.8% as its levels dropped slightly while it stood higher at 103.0% during the same time in the preceding year. The Sterkfontein Dam, which is a reserve dam in the Free State, has seen a rise in its water levels from 96.2% last week to 96.4% this week, exceeding the 91.7% it recorded last year at the same time.

Considerably higher than last year when it hovered at 78.3%, the Bloemhof Dam which is currently at 109.6% contributes greatly to the stability of the IVRS.

Last week, the dam floated at full capacity at 108.0%. Meanwhile, the smaller Mohale Dam in Lesotho continues to hover at low levels of 27.4% but these are slightly higher compared to the 12.1% last year and the 18.4% last week. The second highest dam, the Katse, also in Lesotho, has seen an improvement in its levels, rising to 56.0% from 54.0% last week.

The present levels of the dam show a substantial upswing from the levels of 26.4% it recorded during the same week last year. The Department continues to emphasise demand management as one of the ways of dealing with high demand. In this regard, the Department appeals to water consumers to continue to use wisely and sparingly.

One other vitally important tool to conserve water is the recycling of the resource for use in homes. Water consumers are encouraged to collect water from basins, showers and washing machines and use it as grey water. Grey water is ideal to be used in toilets and to water the garden.