More sluice gates opened at Vaal Dam after heavy rains
Officials at the Department of Water and Sanitation have opened eight sluice gates at the Vaal Dam.
The move follows the heavy rainfall experienced in Gauteng this month.
Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau says sluice gates Hartebeespoort and Bloemhof dams will also be opened.
"At the moment the major one is the Vaal, at the Hartebeespoort Dam, there are releases that have been put in place, as well as at Bloemhof Dam. The Gariep Dam which is the biggest dam in the country doesn't operate with sluice gates, it is a gravitational dam so the spillage will happen due to gravity and that is also in place at the moment."
Ratau has warned communities living downstream of the Vaal of possible localised flooding.
"We need all communities downstream of the Vaal Dam to be very much alert, this includes the communities towards the Bloemhof Dam and beyond the Bloemhof Dam, this means that all the way down past Christiana towards the confluence of the Vaal and the Orange rivers, those communities will be affected and beyond the confluence towards Namibia.”
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