Theewaterskloof dam, August 2020 – Photo: Twitter
Theewaterskloof dam, August 2020 – Photo: Twitter
After a rainy weekend and a magnificent winter, the good news keeps on flowing for the Cape Town dam levels. They’ve increased by another 1.3% this week – but can we say the reserves are officially 100% full yet?
Cape Town dams latest news and updates: 100% mark remains tantalisingly close
Not quite. But it couldn’t be much closer. The Cape Town dam levels combined stand at an impressive 99.5%. After the lean summer months and the threat of day zero, residents of the south-west are living in what seems to a dream world here. Despite everything else 2020 has thrown at the Western Cape, this year has been extremely kind to the dams.
The 100% mark – for both Cape Town in general and Theewaterskloof – could be breached within the next 24-48 hours.
- At 99.5% full, this is the best total recorded for the Cape Town dam levels since 2014.
- Theewaterskloof has hit a five-year high, and it’s just 0.4% off full capacity now.
- In fact, comparing the last six winter seasons, September 2020 has been head and shoulders above the rest:
Dams fill up as memories of day zero fade into obscurity
Two dams are more than 100% full, whereas Theewaterskloof is dangerously close to tipping its overall capacity. No local facility is less than 98.4% full, which is an incredible feat with all things considered. In total, the Cape Town dam levels are 13.6% better off than they were at this point last year.
These record-setting figures are certainly proving to be a sight for sore Capetonian eyes. Forced to endure droughts, water restrictions, and two-minute showers since 2017, this latest news will be a huge sigh of relief for locals. However, Cape Town remains vulnerable to water scarcity, even in good times such as these. Conservation is the new normal…
Latest Cape Town dam levels for Monday 28 September
| Major dams | 28/9/2020 | Previous week | % 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berg River | 100.6 | 100.3 | 99.4 |
| Steenbras Lower | 101.7 | 101.0 | 98.1 |
| Steenbras Upper | 98.5 | 99.4 | 86.8 |
| Theewaterskloof | 99.6 | 98.1 | 72.1 |
| Voëlvlei | 98.4 | 96.7 | 88.7 |
| Wemmershoek | 98.4 | 96.8 | 92.0 |
| Total Stored Ml | 893 516 | 882 411 | 735 254 |
| % Storage | 99.5 | 98.2 | 81.9 |
