Cape Town’s water supply has received another seasonal boost, with the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) reaching 74.9% of total storage capacity as of 29 June.
The latest figures show that the six major dams supplying Cape Town and surrounding municipalities now hold 672 847 megalitres (Ml) of water out of a total capacity of 898 221Ml.
The integrated system not only supplies Cape Town but also provides water to towns in the Boland, Overberg, West Coast and Swartland, while supporting agricultural irrigation across the region.
Overall storage continues to improve
Overall dam storage increased from 73.8% the previous week to 74.9%, representing an increase of nearly 10 billion litres of water in storage over the seven-day period.
The latest reading also puts the system slightly ahead of the same period last year, when total storage stood at 73%.
Mixed picture across major dams
Several dams recorded healthy gains during the past week.
The Berg River Dam climbed from 78.8% to 85.5%, while Steenbras Upper Dam increased from 83.7% to 86.5%.
The Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the system, edged up from 75.4% to 75.9%, remaining comfortably above last year’s level of 70.6%.
Meanwhile, Wemmershoek Dam reached 100% capacity, making it the only major dam in the system to be completely full.
However, not all reservoirs recorded increases. Voëlvlei Dam slipped slightly from 58.9% to 57.7%, while Steenbras Lower Dam declined from 49.6% to 48.9%.
Latest dam levels
DamLevelBerg River85.5%Steenbras Lower48.9%Steenbras Upper86.5%Theewaterskloof75.9%Voëlvlei57.7%Wemmershoek100%
Positive outlook for winter
With the Western Cape’s rainy season typically extending through winter, the latest figures provide further encouragement for water security in Cape Town and surrounding regions.
Although two dams recorded slight weekly declines, the overall system continues to trend upward, with storage levels now almost 2 percentage points higher than at the same time last year.
And there’s more good news ahead, with widespread rain forecast for later in the week.
Do you try and save water wherever possible?
Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …
