Cape Town dam levels drop as Day Zero looms

Cape Town’s combined dam levels have declined to 59.4% as of 4 February 2026, marking a sharp drop from 62.2% recorded the previous week.

According to data released by the City of Cape Town and the Department of Water and Sanitation, the system lost nearly 26 000 megalitres of stored water in just seven days.

Total dam storage fell from 559 008 megalitres to 533 396 megalitres.

Lower than 2025

Current levels are significantly lower than the same period last year, when the city’s dams stood at 80.3%, raising renewed concerns about water security as summer demand remains high.

The Western Cape Water Supply System serves not only Cape Town but also towns in the Overberg, Boland, West Coast and Swartland, while supplying irrigation water to agriculture through an extensive network of dams, pump stations, pipelines and tunnels.

Under existing licences, the City of Cape Town is permitted to abstract about 60% of the system’s available supply. Agriculture accounts for roughly 33%, with the remainder allocated to smaller towns across the region.

Major Dams Show Varied Declines

Among the six major dams in the system, Steenbras Upper recorded the steepest weekly drop, falling from 78.9% to 69%.

The Berg River Dam declined from 63.8% to 59.8%, while Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest reservoir in the system, dropped from 57.2% to 54.9%.

Smaller decreases were recorded at Voëlvlei Dam, which fell from 70.3% to 67.5%, and Wemmershoek Dam, which slipped from 70.2% to 69.2%. Steenbras Lower also declined, from 58.7% to 51.1%.

Year-on-Year Decline

A comparison with February 2025 shows substantial deficits across all major dams. The Berg River Dam is down from 81.6%, Steenbras Lower from 72.4%, and Steenbras Upper from 96.1%.

Voëlvlei and Wemmershoek have fallen from 80.1% and 74.2% respectively, while Theewaterskloof has dropped sharply from 80.2% a year ago.

The City of Cape Town noted that while individual dam percentages vary, the most reliable indicator of water security is the total quantity of water stored as a percentage of overall capacity.

With dam levels continuing to decline, authorities are expected to closely monitor consumption patterns and rainfall prospects in the weeks ahead.