The City of Cape Town said dam storage levels are still dangerously low at 25.4% and have only increased by 6% in the past month, despite the Western Cape traditionally getting winter rains to replenish dams.
Dam levels feeding the city stood as follows: Berg River 37.2%; Steenbras Lower at 29.3%; Steenbras Upper 65.7%; Theewaterskloof 19.9%; Voel-vlei at 19.9% and Wemmershoek 36%.
The Steenbras Lower, Steenbras Upper, Voelvlei and Wemmershoek dams actually dropped between one and four percentage points in comparison with levels last week.
With Level 4B restrictions active, the collective water usage was 619 million litres a day, 119 million litres above the target of 500 million litres a day.
Residents must use less than 87 litres of water per person per day.
Mayco member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services and Energy Xanthea Limberg says plans to partner with the private sector to create a short-term emergency water supply using desalination, stormwater capture or aquifer extraction are also progressing.
Monday was the closing date for the City’s Request for Information process that it started to find partnerships that could assist with short-term emergency supply schemes, said Limberg.
“We encourage friends, neighbours, families and colleagues to join efforts and to see how they can brainstorm new ways of saving water,” she said.
* To piemp water wasters, send an SMS and photo evidence to 31373.