The Vaal Dam is considerably fuller than it was at this point last year, currently standing at over 104% capacity as of Tuesday, December 30, 2025. Authorities are closely monitoring the dam levels as elevated water levels pose risks downstream.
Vaal Dam Levels: A Decade of Contrasts
Data shows a significant difference between current dam levels and those recorded in recent critically dry years. On December 29, 2025, the dam was at 103.55%, with one gate open.
The dam measured 102.90% with two gates open in 2022, and peaked at 108.10% in 2021, also with two gates open. In contrast, the dam was at just 24.25% in 2024, one of the lowest December levels in recent history. Similarly low levels were recorded in 2016 (43.51%), 2019 (50.22%) and 2020 (51.10%).
Moderate levels were observed in 2023 (66.10%), 2018 (73.75%), 2017 (80.43%), 2014 (82.84%) and 2015 (54.33%).
Dramatic Dam Rescue
Four men were rescued from the edge of the Grootdraai Dam spillway near Standerton, Mpumalanga on Monday night. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) responded to an urgent request from police divers after the men became trapped in heavy, flowing water.
The men were clinging to their ski-boat, which was hovering on the brink of a 40-metre drop into the Vaal River. Authorities believe the boat experienced mechanical failure, causing it to drift towards the dam wall.
Multi-Agency Response Under Extreme Conditions
Rescue crews travelled over 140km from Witbank and Benoni, joining personnel from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), police, emergency medical services and fire and rescue teams. A DWS official opened three spillway gates to create a vacuum, reducing pressure and preventing the boat from being swept over the edge.
NSRI Witbank station commander Travis Clack described the operation as high-risk and time-sensitive. Rescuers used a throw line to pull all four men to safety, and they were medically assessed with no injuries reported. The boat remains lodged on the edge of the weir, and authorities continue to monitor the situation.
The rescued men are from Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and North West.
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