Dam · Free State · South Africa · DWS
Rustfontein Dam
98.3% full
Total capacity
72.2 hm³
River
Modder River
Basin
Vaal-Orange
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS South Africa
Coordinates
29.271°S, 26.616°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
98.3%vs 7 days ago
-0.7 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
+49.5 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 Rustfontein 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 +1.48). 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. 29.271°S, 26.616°E · Open in Google Maps
About Rustfontein Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Rustfontein Dam is filled to 98.3% of its total capacity, holding 71 hm³ of water out of a maximum 72.2 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (-0.7 pp), and it is 49.5 points above its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Rustfontein Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 48.8% (October 19, 2025) to a high of 100.0% (June 9, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around October.
It is operated by DWS South Africa primarily for water supply. It lies within the Vaal-Orange basin at 29.271°S, 26.616°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 98.3% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 71 hm³
- Total capacity
- 72.2 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 0.7 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▲ 49.5 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Modder River
- River basin
- Vaal-Orange
- Operator
- DWS South Africa
- Coordinates
- 29.271°S, 26.616°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 98.3% | 71 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 99.0% | 71.5 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 99.5% | 71.8 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 97.5% | 70.4 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 95.1% | 68.7 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 92.4% | 66.6 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 93.6% | 67.5 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 94.4% | 68.1 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 95.0% | 68.5 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 95.8% | 69.1 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 96.5% | 69.6 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 98.6% | 71.1 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.