It’s been the winter of content
ONE year ago Cape Town’s dams were 37% full, but yesterday the City recorded its highest storage levels at 75% as winter rains have brought much-needed relief.
Two dams in the Western Cape have reached 100% storage capacity, but the province’s biggest dam – Theewaterskloof – is still lagging even though it, too, has seen a marked improvement.
According to Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell, the dam is 57.6% full, having increased by 2% over the past week. He said the average dam level in the Western Cape has increased to 65%.
“Last year at this time the average level was 36%. And we saw hardly any further rainfall last year from October. So that was the level, more or less, we had to work with over the summer months of 2018. Looking ahead at the coming summer period, we are in a much better position. But we remain concerned about the Karoo region of the province where the situation remains quite serious.”
The latest data shows the Voëlvlei dam is 95% full. The Bergriver and Clanwilliam dams are both 100% full.
Bredell said that although water restriction levels had been relaxed in some areas, consumers needed to continue using water wisely.
The City said level 5 water restrictions mean that irrigation with municipal water is not allowed, but nurseries or consumers involved in agricultural activities, or those with gardens of historical significance, may apply for exemption. Swimming pools may not be topped up with potable water. No washing of vehicles with potable water and no hosing down of hard surfaces is allowed.
The provincial head of the national Water and Sanitation department, Rashid Khan, said the province is not yet out of the woods considering the rainy season is coming to an end.