Residents of Cape Town are urged to conserve water as dam levels drop to 51.8% amid a heatwave, raising concerns about future supplies.
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Dam levels in Cape Town have dropped to 51.8%, prompting renewed calls from the City for residents to use water responsibly as a heatwave drives up daily consumption.
The City of Cape Town said water usage has climbed above the targeted limit, raising concerns about how long existing dam supplies will last before winter rains arrive.
According to the City, daily water consumption increased to 1 018 million litres per day (MLD) over the past week, up from 1 012 MLD the week before. This is 43 MLD above the City’s usage target of 975 MLD, which has been set to help sustain supply until the next rainfall season.
Authorities warned that if current consumption trends continue and rainfall this winter is average, dam storage could fall to about 40% by May.
Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the City is not currently experiencing a drought but has entered an “early warning phase” due to lower-than-expected dam levels.
“Cape Town is not in a drought, however, the window to avoid water restrictions later this year is narrowing,” Badroodien said.
He added that the City is entering a more sensitive period in its water cycle as it waits for winter rainfall.
“Cape Town is in an early warning phase that reflects lower-than-expected dam levels and signals the need for continued careful use of water, even though taps are running normally.”
The City also noted that dam levels are currently 17.5% lower than at the same time last year, raising concerns about the impact of unpredictable rainfall patterns.
As temperatures soar this week, officials urged residents to stay hydrated but remain mindful of their water use.
“As Cape Town experiences soaring temperatures this week, our call is for Team Cape Town to please keep hydrated and cool, while remembering to use water wisely and responsibly in and around our homes, businesses and industries, and for essential purposes only,” said Badroodien.
He said higher water demand during hot weather is expected but stressed that residents should still avoid unnecessary usage.
“We cannot control and depend on what winter will bring in the face of unpredictable rainfall. We can only control the water we currently have. Let’s not take our supply for granted so we need to continue to work together now towards reducing how much water we use.”
The City reminded residents that about 70% of Cape Town’s water is used in households, making domestic conservation critical to protecting supply.
Residents have been urged to fix leaking taps and toilets, monitor their water consumption, water gardens at night to reduce evaporation and avoid topping up swimming pools unnecessarily.
The City also encouraged residents to report burst municipal pipes and leaks through its reporting channels so that water losses can be addressed quickly.
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