Sterkfontein Dam’s sluice gates were opened on Monday morning‚ sending desperately needed water from the Free State towards the critically low Vaal Dam. The release of additional water reserves coincides with the implementation of water rationing — a similar concept to the load shedding of electricity — by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The Department of Water and Sanitation is drawing water from Sterkfontein reserves to keep the level of the Vaal Dam at 25% of capacity. If the Vaal’s water levels dip below 25%‚ the Gauteng municipalities that it feeds will suffer‚ Departmental spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said. The Vaal is currently at 26% of capacity. "We started [releasing water to the Vaal] this morning at 9am. We are starting [to transfer at an intensity of] 20m³ per second‚ and escalating to about 70m³ per second at the beginning of December. That will be the peak‚" said Ratau.
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