Dam · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa · DWS
Driel Barrage Dam
98.3% full
Total capacity
8.7 hm³
River
Tugela River
Basin
Pongola-Mtamvuna
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS South Africa
Coordinates
28.763°S, 29.291°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
98.3%vs 7 days ago
0.0 ppstable
vs 1 year ago
+7.0 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
→stable
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Moderately wet
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Driel Barrage Dam had more rain than 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 +1.16). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
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. 28.763°S, 29.291°E · Open in Google Maps
About Driel Barrage Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Driel Barrage Dam is filled to 98.3% of its total capacity, holding 8.6 hm³ of water out of a maximum 8.7 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (+0.0 pp), and it is 7.0 points above its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Driel Barrage Dam — 19 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 87.2% (September 21, 2026) to a high of 100.0% (August 24, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around August and at its lowest around September.
It is operated by DWS South Africa primarily for water supply. It lies within the Pongola-Mtamvuna basin at 28.763°S, 29.291°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 98.3% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 8.6 hm³
- Total capacity
- 8.7 hm³
- 7-day change
- No change
- Year-on-year
- ▲ 7.0 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Tugela River
- River basin
- Pongola-Mtamvuna
- Operator
- DWS South Africa
- Coordinates
- 28.763°S, 29.291°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 98.3% | 8.6 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 98.3% | 8.6 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 87.2% | 7.6 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 87.2% | 7.6 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 99.7% | 8.7 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 100.0% | 8.7 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 97.3% | 8.5 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 97.3% | 8.5 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 97.3% | 8.5 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 98.3% | 8.5 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 98.3% | 8.5 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | 90.3% | 7.8 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.