The Western Cape’s dam levels across the province continue their steady climb, with the Cape Town Water Supply System now sitting at an encouraging 82.06% capacity, yet lower than last years 94.21% level during the same period of time.
The latest hydrological report from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) shows a good recovery, with levels jumping from 78.84% just one week ago – representing an overall increase of nearly 20% compared to readings taken a month earlier.
This positive trajectory comes as consistent winter rainfall has provided much-needed relief to the province’s water reserves, which have faced significant pressure in recent years.
However, Western Cape Provincial Head of DWS, Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, is cautioning against complacency despite the encouraging figures.
“We are pleased with the recovery of our dam levels and we would like to encourage both residents and businesses to continue using water responsibly despite the increase as we cannot predict the rain patterns for the following weeks,” Bila-Mupariwa said.
The recovery has been widespread across the province’s major water sources, with most dams recording significant gains over the past seven days.
Dam levels this week:
| Dam Name | This Week (%) | Last Week (%) | 2024 |
| Theewaterskloof | 77.59 | 75.57 | 96.92% |
| Voëlvlei | 79.55 | 73.92 | 76.01% |
| Berg River | 100.50 | 101.01 | 103.04% |
| Wemmershoek | 84.20 | 81.32 | 93.50% |
| Steenbras Upper | 100.60 | 96.44 | 100.43% |
| Steenbras Lower | 73.80 | 51.17 | 103.32% |
The standout performer has been Steenbras Lower Dam, which recorded a dramatic 22.63 percentage point increase week-on-week, jumping from 51.17% to 73.80%.
Two dams – Berg River and Steenbras Upper – are now operating above full capacity at 100.50% and 100.60% respectively, indicating optimal water storage conditions.
The Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the Western Cape Water Supply System, has shown steady improvement, reaching 77.59% from 75.57% the previous week. But it still remains quite a bit lower than last years level, when it was almost at capacity in July.
