Cape Town dams breach 30% full mark as City throttles supply pressure

If you’re in Cape Town and were caught in the rain this morning, don’t worry, your socks will dry. More importantly, the current precipitation is adding to the positive news of this week’s dam levels (pdf).

For the first time this winter, dam levels have breached the combined 30% full mark, standing at 31.1% full. That’s an increase of 1.7% over the previous week.

In 2016, this level stood at 56.1%.

Notably, Steenbras Upper dam is now 91.6% full, up by 4.2%. The Berg River Dam is the other top performer, now standing at 48.9% full, up by 4.1%.

Dams in other regions of the Western Cape haven’t experienced massive gains, but notably, there have been no losses this week.

Water consumption also continues to drop, with this week seeing around 20-million litres per day less usage than the previous week. Cape Town still however remains a full 110-million litres per day above its target of 500-million.

The City of Cape Town has this week announced further plans to reduce consumption.

“Residents are advised that the City is intensifying its pressure reduction programme,” it notes in a press release.

“From this week, the City will be lowering the water pressure in its reticulation network to about 2 bars at the critical control points in the various supply zones across the metro.”

Cape Town’s major dams are now a combined 31% full

Additionally, the City’s mayoral committee member for water and waste services Xanthea Limberg noted that the City is focussing on four key areas in its revised Water Resislience Plan:

We continue to approach this unprecedented drought crisis in a proactive and innovative manner, via four main focus areas: promoting increased water conservation through restrictions, campaigns to encourage behavioural change, pressure management and restriction of supply to excessive users; procurement of emergency supply schemes; preparation for a day-zero actuality; and building medium- and long-term resilience as it pertains to water provision.

This comes after the City unveiled its water consumption calculator earlier this month.

Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille will outline additional details in this Thursday.