Dam · Free State · South Africa · DWS
Sterkfontein Dam
98.9% full
Total capacity
2,617 hm³
River
Nuwejaarspruit
Basin
Vaal-Orange
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS
Coordinates
28.367°S, 28.667°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
98.9%vs 7 days ago
-0.1 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
-0.1 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 Sterkfontein 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 +1.01). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
90 m
Year built
1981
Dam type
Rockfill
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. 28.367°S, 28.667°E · Open in Google Maps
About Sterkfontein Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Sterkfontein Dam is filled to 98.9% of its total capacity, holding 2,588 hm³ of water out of a maximum 2,617 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (-0.1 pp), and it sits close to where it was a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Sterkfontein Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 98.7% (August 31, 2026) to a high of 99.4% (May 31, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around August.
The dam at Sterkfontein Dam stands 90 m tall and is a rockfill dam and was completed in 1981. It is operated by DWS primarily for water supply. It lies within the Vaal-Orange basin at 28.367°S, 28.667°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 98.9% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 2,588 hm³
- Total capacity
- 2,617 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 0.1 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▼ 0.1 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Nuwejaarspruit
- River basin
- Vaal-Orange
- Dam height
- 90 m
- Year completed
- 1981
- Operator
- DWS
- Coordinates
- 28.367°S, 28.667°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 98.9% | 2,588 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 99.0% | 2,591 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 99.0% | 2,591 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 98.9% | 2,588 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 98.8% | 2,586 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 98.7% | 2,583 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 98.8% | 2,586 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 98.8% | 2,586 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 98.8% | 2,586 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 98.8% | 2,586 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 98.9% | 2,588 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 99.3% | 2,599 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.