Theewaterskloof Dam, August 2019 – Photo: Stellenbosch Municipality / Twitter
Theewaterskloof Dam, August 2019 – Photo: Stellenbosch Municipality / Twitter
The Cape Town dam levels continued on their upwards trajectory this week, inching closer and closer to the coveted 90% mark. Having said that, the region will perhaps need another big storm or two to get it to that magical marker, but the progress of Theewaterskloof dam has also been a major positive this winter.
The former poster child for Cape Town’s drought has added another 1.2% to its reserves this week, and it is now 72% full. About 18 months ago, the largest facility in the entire province dwindled under 10%. The combined Cape Town dam levels for this week stands at 81.7% – also rising by 1.2% in the last seven days.
The #Theewaterskloof_dam after the #rain is filling up 70.00% to much happiness ? Neels Venter @SAWeatherServic @sawx_sa_weather @eNCA @eNCAWeather @venter_annette @debeer_anika @TeamNews24 @AgriWesKaap @AfricaWeather_ @maroelamedia @YouMagazine @zarsg @TheSAnews pic.twitter.com/FyCP1cAMlD
— ReenvalSA (@ReenvalSA) August 10, 2019
Joy over the latest Theewaterskloof dam levels
All the other major resevoirs serving the Mother City are at least 85% full, with three of them above the 99% landmark. The comeback of all comebacks has been sealed by a very wet and moody winter season, although Cape Town has had a dry spell of late. Barely any rain has fallen in the last two weeks.
That hasn’t stopped the dams from making progression, but this week’s increase is significantly less than what we had been seeing throughout June and July. With no rain forecast over the next seven days, that imperious march forwards may have hit the slightest of stumbling blocks.
Water consumption has been relatively low this week, at 503 million litres per day. Despite the unfavourable conditions of late, the Cape and its water-wise inhabitants have been able to keep the good news flowing from Theewaterskloof down to Steenbras.
Cape Town dam levels latest for Monday 19 August:
When will water restrictions be lifted in Cape Town?
Furthermore, the City of Cape Town are yet to decide whether they will lift the remaining water restrictions and current tariffs in the municipality, after the last few months of bumper rainfall. Confirming their position via a Tweet, they revealed that no choice will be made until the end of October. Hopefully, good things still come to those who wait.
31 October is the end of the hydrological cycle for Cape Town. This is the appropriate period to make decisions regarding restriction levels without pre-empting decisions that may impact on dams levels during the next or future yearly hydrological cycles.
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) August 14, 2019
