Dam · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa · DWS
Pongolapoort Dam
83.3% full
Total capacity
2,395.3 Mm³
River
Pongola
Basin
Usutu-Mhlatuze
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS
Coordinates
-27.383°S, 31.967°E
Last updated
2026-10-05
Current fill
83.3%vs 7 days ago
+0.1%gaining
vs 1 year ago
N/A7-day trend
→stable
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 21 September 2026
Near normal
In the three months to 21 September 2026 the area around Pongolapoort 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 +0.49). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
63 m
Year built
1973
Dam type
Gravity
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. -27.383, 31.967 · Open in Google Maps
About Pongolapoort Dam
As of October 5, 2026, Pongolapoort Dam is filled to 83.3% of its total capacity, holding roughly 1,995 Mm³ of water out of a maximum 2,395 Mm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (+0.1 pts).
Across the readings we hold for Pongolapoort Dam — 17 data points between May 31, 2026 and October 5, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 82.4% (September 21, 2026) to a high of 85.8% (May 31, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around September.
The dam at Pongolapoort Dam stands 63 m tall and is a gravity dam and was completed in 1973. It is operated by DWS primarily for water supply. It lies within the Usutu-Mhlatuze basin at 27.383°S, 31.967°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 83.3%
- Water stored
- 1,995 Mm³
- Total capacity
- 2,395 Mm³
- 7-day change
- ▲ 0.1 pts
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Pongola
- River basin
- Usutu-Mhlatuze
- Dam height
- 63 m
- Year completed
- 1973
- Operator
- DWS
- Coordinates
- 27.383°S, 31.967°E
- Last updated
- October 5, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (Mm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2026 | 83.3% | 1,995 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 83.2% | 1,993 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 82.4% | 1,974 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 82.9% | 1,986 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 83.2% | 1,993 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 83.3% | 1,995 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 83.5% | 2,000 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 83.8% | 2,007 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 84.1% | 2,014 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 84.8% | 2,031 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | 85.0% | 2,036 |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 85.5% | 2,048 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.