The summer season is doing what it does best: Sapping the water from the Cape Town dams as water levels in the city continue to drop. Nothing of what we are seeing is out of the ordinary, but there’s always room for caution when it comes to Theewaterskloof dam.

The biggest facility in the Western Cape is now less than half-full, for the first time since September. When the winter rains did their thing, the dam looked like it would break the 60% mark. It fell agonisingly short, and has lost 10% over the last few months.

The bigger picture is essentially par for the course. Another week, another drop between 1% – 1.5% has hit the Cape. The combined water levels for the Cape Town dams now stands at 63.77%. Thankfully, the region is in a much better position than it was 12 months ago, as day zero fears hit fever pitch. By comparison, the reserves were a mere 29% full in January 2018.

Cape Town dam levels, January 2019

Theewaterskloof dam – 49.4% full this week (2017: 16.6%. Last week: 50.2%).

– 49.4% full this week (2017: 16.6%. Last week: 50.2%). Voëlvlei dam – 81.9% full this week (2017: 20.7%. Last week: 83.6%).

– 81.9% full this week (2017: 20.7%. Last week: 83.6%). Bergriver Dam – 87.6% full this week (2017: 57%. Last week: 89%).

– 87.6% full this week (2017: 57%. Last week: 89%). Clanwilliam Dam – 66%. (2017: 21.7%. Last week: 69%).

Western Cape dam levels for January 2019

(Western Cape government)



Anton Bredell is the minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape. He paid tribute to the firefighters who are still combating a wildfire that broke out in the Overstrand District Municipality on New Year’s Eve, and praised them for their disaster management efforts.