The Vaal system's dams were 98,2% full, and Gauteng's three metros drew more water than their permanent targets
The dams of the Integrated Vaal River System, which supplies Gauteng, were 98,2% full on 26 October 2026, according to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). On 27 October, Rand Water's figures put Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane above their permanent targets for bulk water, and Johannesburg and Tshwane above their higher temporary targets as well. Neither set of figures shows what causes water outages in the metros.
The dams that supply Gauteng are close to full
DWS reports dam levels every week. On 26 October the Vaal system was 98,2% full, down from 99,2% a week earlier and up from 97,5% a year earlier. That figure covers all the system's dams, including some outside Gauteng and in Lesotho. The Vaal Dam was at 106,1% and Sterkfontein Dam at 98,8%; a level above 100% means the dam holds more than its full supply capacity. The next weekly report is due on 2 November 2026.
Source: Department of Water and Sanitation, weekly state of dams, Integrated Vaal River System (week of 26 October 2026, checked 31 October 2026).
Full dams don't by themselves mean water at every tap. Rand Water treats and pumps the water to the metros, and the metros then move it through their own pipes and reservoirs, where supply can fail while the dams are full. Neither set of figures covers what happens inside the metros' own networks.
On 27 October, Johannesburg and Tshwane were above their temporary targets
Rand Water takes water from the Vaal system, treats it and supplies it to the municipalities. Its table gives each of the three metros a permanent target for how much it draws a day and a higher temporary target. It doesn't say how the targets were set or why the temporary one is higher; the same targets appear in press reports of a Rand Water statement on 20 October. The figures and targets are Rand Water's, and the choice of the three metros is its own; we found no figures from the metros to compare them with. The figures are in megalitres a day (ML/day), and a megalitre is a million litres. In the chart, Johannesburg's and Tshwane's bars pass both marks, and Ekurhuleni's passes only the solid one.
Source: Rand Water, "Three metros: consumption against targets, 27 October 2026", a table posted on X (released 31 October 2026).
Rand Water's post on X. Rand Water gives each metro's consumption as an approximate figure ("about"). Its table names Johannesburg Water, the City of Johannesburg's water utility, and the cities of Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.
The table gives Rand Water's figures, including its percentages, which are of the target. Rand Water marks every gap as approximate except Ekurhuleni's 82 below its temporary target.
| Metro | Consumption | Temporary target | Gap to temporary | Permanent target | Gap to permanent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | about 1 756 | 1 528 | about 228 above (14,9%) | 1 356 | about 400 above (29,5%) |
| Ekurhuleni | about 1 070 | 1 152 | 82 below (7,1%) | 1 022 | about 48 above (4,7%) |
| Tshwane | about 903 | 752 | about 151 above (20,1%) | 667 | about 236 above (35,4%) |
| Three metros | about 3 728 | 3 431 | about 297 above (8,6%) | 3 045 | about 683 above (22,4%) |
The three-metro totals are Rand Water's own. The metro rows sum to 3 729 and 3 432, one more than its totals, probably because of rounding. Ekurhuleni's gap to its permanent target is small next to the rounding in an "about" figure.
These are approximate figures for one day, and another day could differ; hot weather or reservoirs refilling after an outage can raise the amount drawn. They are what each metro takes from Rand Water, so they can't separate what households and businesses use from what leaks or is lost before it reaches a meter, and they don't show whether population has grown since the targets were set.