Dam · Free State · South Africa · DWS
Vaalrivier Barrage Dam
97.8% full
Total capacity
53.7 hm³
River
Vaal River
Basin
Vaal-Orange
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS South Africa
Coordinates
26.765°S, 27.684°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
97.8%vs 7 days ago
+1.7 ppgaining
vs 1 year ago
+2.2 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
↑rising
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Moderately wet
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Vaalrivier Barrage 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 +1.25). 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
About Vaalrivier Barrage Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Vaalrivier Barrage Dam is filled to 97.8% of its total capacity, holding 52.5 hm³ of water out of a maximum 53.7 hm³. At this level the reservoir is high.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has risen by 1.7 percentage points, and it is 2.2 points above its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Vaalrivier Barrage Dam — 18 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 94.2% (June 9, 2026) to a high of 99.5% (June 3, 2026).
It is operated by DWS South Africa primarily for water supply. It lies within the Vaal-Orange basin at 26.765°S, 27.684°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 97.8% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 52.5 hm³
- Total capacity
- 53.7 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▲ 1.7 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▲ 2.2 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Vaal River
- River basin
- Vaal-Orange
- Operator
- DWS South Africa
- Coordinates
- 26.765°S, 27.684°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 97.8% | 52.5 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 96.1% | 51.6 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 98.3% | 52.8 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 97.0% | 52 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 98.3% | 52.7 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 95.8% | 51.4 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 96.3% | 51.6 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 97.8% | 52.4 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 97.3% | 52.2 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 96.8% | 51.9 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | 98.0% | 52.5 |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 94.2% | 50.6 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.