The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced that water from the Sterkfontein Dam will be released when the Vaal Dam’s capacity drops to 18%.
This is down from the current 28%. This “standard emergency measure” aims to stabilise the water supply amid ongoing challenges.
The Gauteng region, which includes Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Ekurhuleni, is facing severe water stress as levels at the Vaal Dam—its primary water source—continue to plummet.
“The Department has since issued a notice to water users and the general public along the Nuwejaarspruit and Wilge rivers of possible release of water from Sterkfontein Dam and has advised for removal of movable equipment such as irrigation pumps and to also avoid low-lying bridges by 15 December 2024,” said DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.
“It takes about three to four days for water released from Sterkfontein Dam to reach Vaal Dam.”
Multiple factors driving water shortages
Several issues have been contributing to Gauteng’s water crisis. This includes successive heatwaves increasing evaporation rates, and early summer rains that have been insufficient following last season’s drought.
The Vaal Dam, spanning 320 square kilometres, is losing about 2% of its capacity each week.
A critical six-month maintenance period (due to end in April 2025) at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project has also temporarily halted additional water flow.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel transfers 780 million cubic metres of water per year into the Integrated Vaal River System.
Impact on millions
The water shortages add to the woes of around 12 million residents in the interconnected cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Ekurhuleni.
These urban centres have already experienced frequent water cuts due to infrastructure failures and poor maintenance.
More worryingly, more than 40% of the water supplied to these cities is lost to leaks.
Earlier this year, a large portion of Johannesburg faced an extended outage when a pump station failed after a lightning strike.
More recently, on 27 November, residents in Westbury clashed with police over a local water outage, highlighting growing frustrations with water supply in the region.
Potential restrictions ahead
Johannesburg Water, the city’s main utility provider, is considering stricter usage restrictions.
Measures such as reduced water pressure (‘water throttling‘) between 9:00 and 16:00 are already in place in some areas.
Has your water supply been affected?
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