Dam · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa · DWS
Midmar Dam
89.5% full
Total capacity
235.5 hm³
River
Umgeni
Basin
Pongola-Mtamvuna
Primary use
water supply
Operator
Umgeni Water
Coordinates
29.533°S, 30.150°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
89.5%vs 7 days ago
-1.1 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
-4.8 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
↓falling
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Near normal
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Midmar 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 +0.62). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
46 m
Year built
1965
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. 29.533°S, 30.150°E · Open in Google Maps
About Midmar Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Midmar Dam is filled to 89.5% of its total capacity, holding 210.8 hm³ of water out of a maximum 235.5 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has fallen by 1.1 percentage points, and it is 4.8 points below its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Midmar Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 88.0% (August 31, 2026) to a high of 95.8% (May 31, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around August.
The dam at Midmar Dam stands 46 m tall and is a earthfill dam and was completed in 1965. It is operated by Umgeni Water primarily for water supply. It lies within the Pongola-Mtamvuna basin at 29.533°S, 30.150°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 89.5% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 210.8 hm³
- Total capacity
- 235.5 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 1.1 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▼ 4.8 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Umgeni
- River basin
- Pongola-Mtamvuna
- Dam height
- 46 m
- Year completed
- 1965
- Operator
- Umgeni Water
- Coordinates
- 29.533°S, 30.150°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 89.5% | 210.8 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 90.6% | 213.4 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 90.3% | 212.7 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 90.3% | 212.7 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 88.2% | 207.7 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 88.0% | 207.2 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 88.4% | 208.1 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 89.0% | 209.5 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 89.0% | 209.5 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 89.5% | 210.7 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 90.0% | 211.9 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 93.0% | 218.9 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.