Cape Town dam levels rise as winter rainfall boosts water storage – UPDATE
Cape Town's major dams have continued their steady winter recovery, with combined storage increasing to 78.1% according to the latest figures.
Black News 
Cape Town’s major dams have continued their steady winter recovery, with combined storage increasing to 78.1% according to the latest figures.
The six dams supplying the city’s water system now hold 701 595 megalitres (Ml) of water out of a combined capacity of 898 221Ml, up from 77.3% the previous week.
Because the dams vary significantly in size, the City of Cape Town regards the overall storage percentage as the most accurate measure of the metro’s water reserves.
Theewaterskloof remains the largest source
The Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the Western Cape water supply system, rose slightly to 78.2%, up from 78.1% the previous day and 77.3% a week earlier.
Other major dams also recorded healthy storage levels:
- Berg River Dam: 88.6%
- Steenbras Lower Dam: 57.5%
- Steenbras Upper Dam: 101.1%
- Voëlvlei Dam: 61.6%
- Wemmershoek Dam: 99.9%
Steenbras Upper remained above full supply level at 101.1%, while Wemmershoek was virtually full at 99.9%.
Water storage continues to improve
Overall water storage increased from 694 473Ml (77.3%) a week ago to 700 713Ml (78.0%) on 13 July before climbing further to 701 595Ml (78.1%) on 14 July.
Despite the improvement, dam levels remain below the 82.3% recorded at the same time last year, when the dams collectively held 738 879Ml of water.
Among the individual dams, Berg River (88.6%) remains below last year’s 100.6%, while Voëlvlei (61.6%) also trails its 2025 level of 78.1%.
However, Steenbras Lower (57.5%) has improved significantly compared with 74.1% at the same stage last year, and Wemmershoek remains well above its 2025 level of 83.9%.
With the Western Cape’s winter rainfall season continuing, further inflows are expected to boost storage levels in the coming weeks.
Positive outlook going forward
With the Western Cape’s rainy season typically extending through winter, the latest figures provide further encouragement for water security in Cape Town and surrounding regions.
And there’s more good news ahead, with rain forecast for later in the week.
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