Beaufort West’s Gamka Dam hits 0%

Beaufort West, the largest town in the Western Cape’s arid Karoo region, has officially run out of dam water.

This according to the Western Cape Government’s media liaison James Styan.

“The town has run out of surface water but has relied on boreholes for a long time,” he tweeted Monday morning.

#WCDROUGHT
Note: Beaufort-West has NOT reached day Zero. The town has run out of surface water but has relied on boreholes for a long time.

— James Styan (@jamesstyan) November 13, 2017

He did however suggest that the town, home to nearly 40 000 people, has not reached “day Zero” — suggesting that there remains drinking water available gained through alternative sources.

Said alternative sources include boreholes and recycled sewage.

Beaufort West’s Gamka Dam is just one of seven dams across the Western Cape hovering below the 10% full mark. Four dams are currently at 0.1% or lower.

Currently visiting drought stricken areas in the Western Cape. This is the Beaufort West dam.#WCdrought pic.twitter.com/3HU3UZPbLv

— James Styan (@jamesstyan) November 8, 2017

Feature image: flowcomm via Flickr (CC BY 2.0, resized)