Dam · North West · South Africa · DWS
Vaalkop Dam
101.2% full
Total capacity
51.4 Mm³
River
Elands River
Basin
Unknown
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS South Africa
Coordinates
-25.309°S, 27.474°E
Last updated
2026-10-05
Current fill
101.2%vs 7 days ago
+0.8%gaining
vs 1 year ago
N/A7-day trend
→stable
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 21 September 2026
Very wet
In the three months to 21 September 2026 the area around Vaalkop Dam had much more rain than normal, seen about one year in fifteen. Rainfall compared with the long-run record for the same season at this point (Copernicus Global Drought Observatory, SPI-3 index +1.59). 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. -25.309, 27.474 · Open in Google Maps
About Vaalkop Dam
As of October 5, 2026, Vaalkop Dam is filled to 101.2% of its total capacity, holding roughly 52 Mm³ of water out of a maximum 51 Mm³. At this level the reservoir is effectively full.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (+0.8 pts).
Across the readings we hold for Vaalkop Dam — 17 data points between May 31, 2026 and October 5, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 100.0% (August 31, 2026) to a high of 103.9% (May 31, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around May and at its lowest around September.
It is operated by DWS South Africa primarily for water supply. It lies within the Unknown basin at 25.309°S, 27.474°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 101.2%
- Water stored
- 52 Mm³
- Total capacity
- 51 Mm³
- 7-day change
- ▲ 0.8 pts
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Elands River
- River basin
- Unknown
- Operator
- DWS South Africa
- Coordinates
- 25.309°S, 27.474°E
- Last updated
- October 5, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (Mm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2026 | 101.2% | 52 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 100.4% | 52 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 101.4% | 52 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 100.0% | 51 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 100.2% | 51 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 101.8% | 52 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 101.8% | 52 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 101.8% | 52 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 102.0% | 52 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 102.9% | 53 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | 102.9% | 53 |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 101.8% | 52 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.