Western Cape dam levels drop to 76% after weekend of scorching weather

The Steenbras Dam’s water level is much higher compared with this time last year. Picture: Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

The Steenbras Dam’s water level is much higher compared with this time last year. Picture: Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

Published Jan 26, 2022

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Cape Town - After temperatures soared over the past week across the Western Cape, dam levels are now at 76%.

According to the province’s MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, this is a drop of 2% from last week’s levels.

He said with local holiday visitors back home, residents now need to regain the water-saving discipline they showed during the previous drought.

“Even if the dams are full, we do not know what the rainfall conditions will be this coming winter, so please keep on using water as a precious and scarce resource,” Bredell said.

The latest data supplied by the Department of Water and Sanitation indicates that the average levels for dams in the province this week stands at 76%, down from 78.05%.

This is significantly better than the same time last year when provincial dam levels stood at 67.77%.

“Dams supplying water to Cape Town, which include Wemmershoek Dam, Steenbras Upper and Lower dams, Theewaterskloof Dam and the Berg River Dam, are currently 88.57% full, down from 90.64% last week,” Bredell said.

Voëlvlei Dam is 84.35% full, down from 86.28% last week, compared with 80.94% in 2021.

Berg River Dam is 90.02% full, down from 92.86% last week, compared with 85.77% in 2021.

Theewaterskloof Dam is 90.51% full, down from 92.86% last week, compared with 88.20% in 2021, while Clanwilliam Dam is 87.09% full, down from 91% last week, compared with 65.89% in 2021.

robin.francke@inl.co.za

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