Cape Town - After heavy rains in the province over the past few days, the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) has once more exceeded its 100% dam water levels and is now at 109.38%.
The Western Cape Water Supply System comprises a number of dams – Theewaterskloof, Berg River, Upper and Lower Steenbras, Voëlvlei and Wemmershoek – which supply water to the City of Cape Town and surrounds.
According to the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the system’s record water levels this year have significantly improved, especially compared with last year’s, which was 85% for the same period.
The DWS said the Cape Town system dams increased by more than 7% compared with the previous week.
The department said Theewaterskloof Dam was currently 100% full and spilling. Theewaterskloof is the biggest dam in the province and accounts for 54% of the province’s water supply.
DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said: “Individually, the other dams are as follows: Misverstand Dam (152.67%), Brandvlei Dam (80.91%), Ceres Dam (101.16%), Gamka Dam (102.49%), Clanwilliam Dam (101.38%), and Miertjieskraal at (111.71%).
“The Olifants/Doorn River catchment also reached the 100% mark, a very healthy water yield compared to 86.71% last year.
“It is pleasing to see that Gouritz River catchment is hovering above 80% as the system was below 50% at this time last year.
“While the department is pleased with the significant rainfall, we sadly acknowledge that the heavy rains and adverse weather conditions led to significant damage to infrastructure and detrimentally affected lives and livelihoods, especially those in riverbanks and low-lying areas,” Mavasa said.
Meanwhile, the City is celebrating the 126th anniversary of Woodhead Dam.
Situated on Table Mountain, it has supplied Cape Town residents with water for more than a century, and at one period was the main source of water to the city, according to the local municipality.
City water and sanitation Mayco member Zahid Badroodien said the initial idea for Woodhead Dam came to life in the late 1890s after colonial hydraulic engineer John Gamble showed that the rainfall in the area made a dam feasible.
Badroodien said: “The City remains committed to building a water-resilient future. Due to climate change, Cape Town has learnt that we cannot solely rely on dams for water security in future.
“We are investing in its new water programme to help reduce Cape Town’s dependence on rainfall and dam storage as our primary water supply to navigate future climate shocks and droughts,” he said.
Badroodien said the City planned to bring an extra 300 million litres of water online from other sources by 2030.
In 2008, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) marked the Woodhead Dam as an International Civil Engineering landmark for its innovation and long-standing service in South Africa.
nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za