Here’s what level the Vaal Dam recorded this week

Vaal Dam sluice gate. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen South Africa’s largest water supply reservoir remains above 100% capacity for a third consecutive day, with authorities gradually ramping up releases as inflows continue to exceed outflows. The Vaal Dam ended the three-day reporting period still well above its full supply level, though its percentage has edged lower each day.

The reservoir stood at 105.23% on 8 June 2026, according to data from The Reservoir, a Water Resource Information Centre for the Catchment Management Forums of the Upper Vaal Water Management Area. The reservoir recorded the dam’s level easing to 104.96% on 9 June before slipping further to 104.84% on 10 June. Despite the gradual decline, the dam remained comfortably above capacity throughout, with no flood gates opened on any of the three days.

Inflows held relatively steady across the period. “Inflow: 64.0m³/s,” The Reservoir reported for 8 June, with outflow held at just 3.8m³/s and gates remaining shut. The following day saw inflows edge higher, with The Reservoir noting: “Inflow: 66.8m³/s,” while outflow remained unchanged at 3.8m³/s.

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The most significant operational change occurred on 10 June, when outflow from the Vaal Dam was sharply increased. While inflows eased slightly to 58.4m³/s, outflow was raised to 20.4m³/s. The Reservoir captured the shift clearly in its daily reading: “Outflow: 20.4m³/s,” with the dam still recording no open gates. The increased releases appear to be a managed response to the sustained above-capacity storage, aimed at gradually drawing the level down while avoiding a sudden surge through the spillway.

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