Cape Town’s water situation is getting worse by the week, with dam levels dropping faster than they have all season.
The city’s water supply system has fallen to just 76.6% capacity – losing a worrying 2.4 percentage points in just seven days. To put that in perspective, this time last year the same dams were sitting comfortably at 94.2%.
Across the broader Western Cape, the picture is even grimmer. Provincial dam levels have slumped to 68.7%, compared to a healthy 89.9% in December 2024.
It’s not just one or two dams causing the problem – every major water source is feeling the pressure.
Theewaterskloof, the province’s biggest dam, has dropped to 71.8% from 74.2% in just one week. Last year at this time it had a robust level of 94.2%.
Berg River Dam took the biggest weekly knock, dropping from 84.5% to 80.7%, a loss of nearly 4 percentage points in one week. In 2024, it was sitting pretty at 95.2%.
The story is similar across other major dams:
• Voëlvlei slipped from 88.1% to 85.5%
• Steenbras Upper dropped from 96.4% to 95.0%
• Steenbras Lower fell from 76.3% to 74.8%
• Wemmershoek dipped slightly from 79.0% to 78.4%
While the numbers are concerning, the Democratic Alliance (DA) insists Cape Town is much better prepared than during the infamous “Day Zero” crisis of 2015-2018, when taps nearly ran dry.
“Our dam levels are lower than we would want at this point in the season, but we are in a far stronger position than we were a decade ago,” said Dave Bryant, the DA spokesperson for Local Government and Environmental Affairs.
Since the last water crisis, the province has built a much stronger safety net he said:
• New groundwater sources are now pumping water into the system • Water recycling plants have been expanded across the province • Smarter pipe systems waste less water through leaks • Pressure management helps stretch supplies further
Slight relief however is predicted later this week, with cooler temperatures and chances of rain. On Friday Cape Town will be cooler at 18°C with 45% chance of rain, Paarl and Worcester 23°C, also with 45% chance of rain, and Hermanus 23°C and 45% chance of showers.
Bryant however emphasised that residents need to keep up their water-saving habits. “Continued water-wise habits are essential to protecting our long-term water security, especially as climate pressures intensify.”
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