Dam · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa · DWS
Albert Falls Dam
84.9% full
Total capacity
285.7 hm³
River
Umgeni
Basin
Pongola-Mtamvuna
Primary use
water supply
Operator
Umgeni Water
Coordinates
29.467°S, 30.367°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
84.9%vs 7 days ago
-0.4 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
-8.8 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
→stable
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Near normal
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Albert Falls Dam had rain close to normal for the season. Rainfall compared with the long-run record for the same season at this point (Copernicus Global Drought Observatory, SPI-3 index +0.38). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
66 m
Year built
1974
Dam type
Earthfill
Data source
official
Storage data: Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Weekly State of Dams report, South Africa.
Catchment Weather
Past 30 days + 14-day forecast · Open-Meteo
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics. Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors. 29.467°S, 30.367°E · Open in Google Maps
About Albert Falls Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Albert Falls Dam is filled to 84.9% of its total capacity, holding 242.6 hm³ of water out of a maximum 285.7 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (-0.4 pp), and it is 8.8 points below its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Albert Falls Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 84.5% (September 21, 2026) to a high of 97.5% (May 31, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around September.
The dam at Albert Falls Dam stands 66 m tall and is a earthfill dam and was completed in 1974. It is operated by Umgeni Water primarily for water supply. It lies within the Pongola-Mtamvuna basin at 29.467°S, 30.367°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 84.9% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 242.6 hm³
- Total capacity
- 285.7 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 0.4 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▼ 8.8 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Umgeni
- River basin
- Pongola-Mtamvuna
- Dam height
- 66 m
- Year completed
- 1974
- Operator
- Umgeni Water
- Coordinates
- 29.467°S, 30.367°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 84.9% | 242.6 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 85.3% | 243.7 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 85.4% | 244 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 84.9% | 242.6 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 84.5% | 241.4 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 84.7% | 241.9 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 85.6% | 244.5 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 87.0% | 248.5 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 87.2% | 249.1 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 89.2% | 254.8 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 89.7% | 256.2 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 92.6% | 264.5 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.