Dam levels across Cape Town and the wider Western Cape Water Supply System have continued to edge downward, underscoring the pressure on the region’s water resources during the summer period. According to the City of Cape Town, total storage for the week updated on Monday, 12 January 2026 stood at 66.8% of capacity, down from 69.1% the previous week. The municipality reported that this represents 599 963 megalitres of water currently stored, compared with 620 888 megalitres a week earlier and 776 845 megalitres at the same point in 2025.
The city said authorities monitor these levels to determine water availability for the region and assess whether restrictions are necessary for residents and businesses. “The dam levels are critical for Cape Town’s water supply.” Most of the major dams supplying the metro recorded modest declines over the reporting period. The Berg River Dam dropped from 71.2% to 68.7% this week.
Last year, around the same period, the dam stood at 87.9%. Meanwhile, Theewaterskloof, the system’s largest dam, fell from 63.8% to 61.4%. Theewaterskloof has a full supply capacity of 480 188 megalitres.
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Last year, in the same period, it stood at a higher rate at 86.2%. Steenbras Lower and Steenbras Upper also slipped slightly, measuring 63.9% and 86.1% respectively, compared with 64.9% and 87.0% the previous week. Both dams held higher capacities at the same point last year, standing at 79.7% and 97.1% respectively.
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