There are two distinct phases of reporting when it comes to the Cape Town dam levels: The joy of seeing them rise in winter, and the solemn caution that comes with their performance in this summer. On Monday, the City of Cape Town confirmed that the city’s water reserves are now less than 75% full.
This is by no means a disaster, and the dams look healthier than they did at this point last year. They are 10.2% above what they were in January 2019. But locals are reminded that a water crisis doesn’t just disappear after a decent winter season – and complacency seems to be setting in across the city.
How much water is being consumed in the Mother City?
At the last count, Capetonians were using 704 million litres per day, which is more than 8% above the city’s desired maximum consumption target. Last week, residents chalked up just 667 million litres. That sharp increase of 37 million extra litres in a week has the potential to deplete the Cape Town dam levels quicker, and with tourists visiting during the hottest time of the year, water-wise westerners need to save every drop possible.
It hasn’t been the merriest of Christmases for Cape Town dam levels. Over the festive period, the dams have lost almost 3% of their combined water totals. The facilities stand at 74.7% full. At the start of this week, Theewaterskloof dipped under the two-thirds-full mark for the first time this summer.
Latest Cape Town dam levels for Monday 6 January
| Cape Town dam levels | Current levels (6/1/2020) | Previous week | % 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berg River | 90.0 | 91.9 | 88.2 |
| Steenbras Lower | 82.7 | 85.0 | 66.2 |
| Steenbras Upper | 99.7 | 100.0 | 69.8 |
| Theewaterskloof | 66.4 | 67.3 | 49.9 |
| Voëlvlei | 78.8 | 80.1 | 82.6 |
| Wemmershoek | 79.2 | 81.0 | 76.5 |
| Total Stored Ml | 671 122 | 681 932 | 578 925 |
| % Storage | 74.7 |
75.9 | 64.5 |
All six major facilities which make up the Cape Town dam levels have experienced a decline in the past seven days. Steenbras (2.3%) and Berg River (1.9%) were the biggest losers this week. Another 0.9% was drained from the province’s biggest facility in Theewaterskloof, which stands at 66.4% full.
