Cape Town - The average water level for all dams in the Western Cape currently stands at 39.8% (2018: 19.5%). This is more or less the same level as has been measured over the past two weeks and would include some of the rainfall that has been seen over the past ten days in some regions.
Dams supplying the City of Cape Town stand at an average of 51.58% (2018: 22.3%). The recent rains have helped to steady the dam levels this past week. Dams that supply Cape Town have declined by only 0.1% over the past week.
Cape Town’s collective water consumption for the past week decreased significantly to 536 million litres per day, the City of Cape Town said.
Capetonians have done well to remain within the target of 650 million litres of collective usage per day, the City added.
Anton Bredell, Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC in the Western Cape says it is still much too soon to start thinking the ongoing drought still afflicting large parts of the province is over.
“There has been some relief, in some areas more than others, but nowhere enough to allow us to rest on our laurels.”
Bredell says the water situation across the Western Cape is satisfactory and markedly better than it was last year at this time.
“Last year the province saw the average dam level for the entire province, drop to around 16% before we started getting enough rain to make a real difference. At the moment we are at 39.8% and heading to our usual winter rainfall period. We remain hopeful to see good rainfall this year.”
One highlight has been the improvement in the Gouritz River catchment area, an area that covers the bulk of the Karoo region. Dam levels have long measured below 20% but have seen an increase in average dam levels to 23.6% following recent rainfall in the region. The Gamka dam in Beaufort West is 11% full.
In the interim provincial support measures for affected disaster areas including assistance to the agriculture sector, remains in place until further notice.
Major Dam statistics
- Theewaterskloof dam – 40.3% full this week (2018: 10.4%. Last week: 39.9%)
- Voëlvlei dam – 63% full this week (2018: 14.9%. Last week: 63.7%)
- Bergriver Dam 72.6% full this week (2018: 46.3%. Last week: 72.7%).
- Clanwilliam Dam 27.9%. (2018: 6.7%. Last week: 30.3%)
Major Dam statistics
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