Summer is the time of picnics and sunbathing with visits to water sites, including big ones such as dams. Many lakes are formed by dams, which help control floods and provide hydroelectric power, a renewable energy source.
This is a time where most fatalities are reported due to non-compliance on safety rules and regulations
Before going to the dam, check daily or weekly levels released by the Department of Water and Sanitation as your guide for safety.
Getting too close can be dangerous. Calm water can, without warning, become a surge of fast-moving water. This creates strong undercurrents that cannot always be seen from the surface and can drown even the strongest swimmer.
Strong currents and undercurrent can cause anyone who enters to be washed downstream, through the structure, or become pinned against it and unable to escape.
The department places signs, fences and safety booms to warn of hazards that must be observed at all times when entering.
At overflow spillways, it can be difficult to see the vertical drop that may occur at the outflow. Being washed through a dam or falling from the structure could lead to significant injuries that could even be fatal.
Water levels and flow change quickly near a dam. Increased flow can cause normally dry areas to pool, which could result in a person being stranded or swept into strong currents. If levels begin to change near a dam, back away. Never stand, fish or anchor a boat below a dam.
Avoid sunbathing, picnicking or camping in an area which may become flooded due to dam operations. Stay off dam structures unless an area is clearly marked for public travel.
Visitors should stay clear of operational equipment. Unauthorised use could pose a public safety risk. Regardless of size, type or intended use, all dams present hazards to those who work or play near them.
“Water is life” but do not mix with alcohol.