Heavy rains that brought chaos and flooding to parts of the Western Cape have delivered much-needed relief to the province’s water reserves, with dam levels rising dramatically across all major catchment areas.
The combined Cape Town water system jumped from 50,5% to 70,1% capacity in just one week, marking a significant 19,7% increase following intense cold fronts that struck the region between 10 and 12 May.
Provincial dam levels now stand at 70,6%, up from 52,5% the previous week and considerably higher than the 54,6% recorded during the same period in May 2025.
The surge in water reserves comes as welcome relief for authorities who had expressed concerns about declining dam levels throughout the year, with various areas having been placed under water restrictions.
Theewaterskloof Dam, the province’s largest water storage facility with a capacity of 479 million cubic metres, experienced one of the most substantial increases. The dam rose from 49,5% to 71,5% capacity, surpassing last year’s May levels of 58,8%.
The Overstrand residents and especially Pearly Beach can now also smile after the good rain last week.
“Following the recent rains, the two dams supplying bulk water to Pearly Beach are now both at full capacity and water restrictions for the area are lifted with immediate effect from 19 May,” said the Overstrand Municipal Manager, Dr Dean O’Neill.
According to him the Overstrand Municipality implemented these water restrictions in Pearly Beach in February as a precautionary measure. “Pearly Beach is supplied with bulk water from the Pearly Beach and Koekemoer Dams. The restrictions were put in place after the level of the Koekemoer Dam dropped to 40% due to damage to a private bulk- water pipeline during the fires in the area. No other areas in the Overstrand had water restrictions during this time,” he stated.
Rainfall across the Overstrand has also brought other municipal dams to full capacity, including the Buffels River Dam (supplying Rooiels, Pringle Bay, and Betty’s Bay) and the Kraaibosch Dam (supplying Gansbaai).
The De Bos Dam (supplying Greater Hermanus) is currently at 91,9%, which is a massive increase of +24,7% from the previous week and significantly higher than the 73,5% recorded during the same period last year on 17 May.
“The Municipality extends its sincere appreciation to all residents, businesses, and visitors for their continued efforts to save water during the restriction period in Pearly Beach. Your responsible water use has played an important role in protecting our shared water resources. Every drop still counts,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to maintain water-wise practices as part of their daily routines, not only during periods of restriction. Every drop still counts.
