Despite recent rainfall, dam levels continue to fall, and the City of Cape Town is warning that without a collective effort to reduce water consumption, the situation will worsen.

Cape Town’s dam levels remain at 45% – up just 0.2% – reinforcing the City’s message that unpredictable rainfall alone cannot secure the city’s water supply. Based on current usage trends, storage could drop to as low as 40% this month (May) if rainfall remains average this season.

The City recorded a slight improvement recently, with daily water usage having dropped to 859 million litres a day (MLD) – just one MLD below the winter target of 860 MLD – a welcome improvement, though with 70% of high-volume water use happening at home, residents remain central to turning the tide.

Cape Town is not heading towards Day Zero, but it is in an early warning phase. The window to avoid water restrictions before November is narrowing and the City may propose restrictions ahead of the National Department of Water and Sanitation’s Annual Operating Analysis if usage and dam levels do not improve.

“While we welcome this weekend’s rainfall, it unfortunately only slightly increased dam levels. We cannot depend on unpredictable rainfall to fill our dams – it also has to fall in the right catchment areas,” said Zahid Badroodien, Mayco member for water and sanitation. “Every drop counts ahead of an uncertain winter. Saving water today means saving water for the months ahead.”

Top water-saving tips

Indoors:

• Fix leaks – turn off all taps and check your water meter; if it’s still moving, you have a leak.
• Take short, stop-start showers; new showerheads may not exceed 7 litres per minute.
• Only flush when necessary; new cisterns may not exceed 6 litres per flush.
• Run washing machines and dishwashers only when full.
• Turn off taps while shaving or brushing teeth.

Outdoors:

• Use a trigger nozzle on hosepipes for washing vehicles; better yet, bucket-wash.
• Dial back irrigation timers – gardens need far less water as seasons change.
• Water before 09:00 or after 18:00 to reduce evaporation.
• Cover pools when not in use and recycle backwash water.

Saving water saves money

Residential water is billed on a sliding scale – the more you use, the more you pay per kilolitre:

• R24.32 per kl for the first 6 kl.
• R33.42 per kl for 6–10.5 kl.
• R49.96 per kl for 10.5–35 kl.
• R96.37 per kl above 35 kl.

Staying in the lower tariff bands can significantly reduce your monthly bill.

Report leaks, burst pipes

📞 086 010 3089 (select option 2)
💬 SMS: 31373
📱 WhatsApp: 060 018 1505
📧 water@capetown.gov.za

Always request a reference number when reporting.

🔗 Water-saving tips;
🔗 City action plan and payment support.