Cape Town dam levels are 95.6% full

Dams across the Western Cape have seen good increases, thanks to a good winter rainfall season. The latest average dam level in the province is 75.3% full. This is nearly 10% higher than what it was last year (2019: 66.3%).

“It was wonderful to see in the past week how a few of the Clanwilliam dam sluices were opened to try to lower the dam’s water level which was above 102% full. Only a month or two ago the dam was less than 20% full,’’ says Anton Bredell, the Western Cape’s MEC of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.

Cape Town dam levels are standing at 95.6% (2019: 81.9%). This is an increase of 4.9% from the previous week. Water consumption for the same period increased by 21 million litres per day from an average of 633 million litres per day the previous week to 654 million litres per day.

Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg, said this is ‘riveting’: ‘‘Seeing the dam levels draw nearer and nearer to the 100% mark is absolutely riveting. For everyone who grimly watched the weather forecasts on the edge of their seats through the winters of the past few years, reaching 95,6% today is remarkable.’’

Limberg said lowering of water tariffs depends on the increase in water consumption. According to the City of Cape Town, they have moved to reduced tariff levels to level 1. It says water tariffs was adjusted to align with projected volumes.

‘’As previously stated, a reduction in tariffs will be dependent on an increase in consumption. Currently, the City is selling approximately 30% less water than before the drought, but is facing additional costs that come with increasing our resilience. It is important that the City cover its costs to ensure that the maintenance and augmentation programmes can be carried out.  Should the amount of water we are selling significantly increase, this will be factored into the tariffs, but given the uncertain impact of climate change, it may not be wise to actively encourage such an approach at this stage.’’

 

Done By: Mitchum George