Water outflows at Bloemhof Dam have been lowered, says the Division of Water and Sanitation, whereas the 5 sluice gates on the Vaal Dam stay open to handle the inflows of water into the dam.
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The division mentioned the outflows at Bloemhof Dam have been decreased because the dam’s water ranges subsided to 104.96%.
The water releases on the Bloemhof dam have been lowered from 2 100 to 1 900 cubic metres per second (mᵌ/s) at 12:00 on Sunday.
The water outflows lower follows Saturday’s discount from 2 500 mᵌ/s.
“These changes are essential to handle the sustained excessive inflows and guarantee protected operation of the dam.”
Ranges have dropped barely
In the meantime, on the Vaal Dam, the water ranges have dropped barely from Saturday’s 115.43% to 114.38% on Sunday, and the inflows from the higher catchment are at 877.38 mᵌ/s.
“The 5 sluice gates stay open, with a discharge of 813.380 mᵌ/s to handle the water ranges on the dam. The managed water releases at each the dams have led to overtopping of riverbanks downstream, leading to flooding that has affected settlements which can be within the lower-lying areas inside the 1 in 100-year floodline,” the division mentioned in an announcement.
The division urged folks dwelling inside the floodline of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams, who’ve been evacuated, to proceed to keep away from the flooded areas.
The division mentioned it continues to observe influx water ranges within the Built-in Vaal River System (IVRS), to make sure that crucial precautions are in place, consistent with dam security requirements and hydrological monitoring methods to safeguard infrastructure and attenuate flood situations.
“As a part of the dam security protocols, sluice gates are opened when dams breach the complete capability mark, to forestall the water useful resource infrastructure from failing as it could result in a dam bursting and inflicting a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude.
“The division is due to this fact implementing these crucial managed water releases on the dams as a part of dam security precautions to safeguard the infrastructure and defend human life,” the division mentioned.
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