The water levels in the Vaal Dam are on a steady seven-week upward trend thanks to recent rains and the flow from the Sterkfontein Reserves released last month.

According to stats from Rand Water, the dam is nearing the 40% mark, currently sitting at 39.3%, an increase of just below 10% from this time last month when levels hovered dangerously above the 25% mark.

The water from the Sterkfontein reserves are expected to have added a total of 7% by the end of this month.

However, this is still far below the levels the dam were at during the same period in 2015.

Last year, the Vaal Dam was at a fairly healthy 54.2% at a time when severe drought and heatwave were still sweeping across the country.

The difference between last year’s and this year’s levels is 15%, meaning there’s still some way to go before the over 12 million people whose water comes from the Vaal, are out of the woods yet.

Comparisons between the dam levels supplying Cape Town (standing at 51%) and the Vaal Dam paint a picture of how serious the situation in Gauteng remains.

Residents are urged to save water and continue adhering to water restrictions in their respective municipalities.