Cape Town dams: Water levels jump up to 62% after heavy rainfall

After another deluge of rain, we’ve got some more good news for the Cape Town dams. The weekend’s showers helped increase water levels up to 62% – a rise of 2% over the last seven days.

Light rains towards the end of the week gave way to intense storms that prompted weather warnings from the South African Weather Service (Saws) on Saturday. Many of the dams serving the municipality were battered by the rain, and snowfall added to the volume of water as well.

Cape Town dams: Water levels for Monday 27 August

There have been big improvements across the board, with only Steenbras Upper losing any water. That’s nothing to fear, however, given that the facility remains over 100% full.

Theewaterskloof keeps going about its business quietly, leaping another 1.3% in its approach towards the 50% mark. Voelvlei (+1.7%), Berg River (+3.2%) and Wemmershoek (+0.7%) also continued their upward surges.

Western Cape dam levels, August 2018

Anton Bredell, the minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, says the winter rainfall has taken the average provincial dam levels from a low of 16% towards the end of April to the current levels of just above 55%.

Bredell expressed further caution, given that some areas of the Western Cape are still facing the potential of a “day zero” scenario.

“We remain concerned about the Karoo areas contained in the Gouritz River Catchment area where the average dam levels are only at 18%. Areas including Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn remain under pressure.”

“Those areas, however, are largely spring and summer rainfall areas and we hope to see some good rains move into those areas from October.”

When will it rain in Cape Town again?

Light showers will come and go until Tuesday, and then there’s a five-day dry spell. A weak cold front is expected to land on Sunday. But again, it’s slim pickings after that, we’re afraid.