Western Cape dam levels recorded further gains during the week ending Monday, 14 July 2025, with overall water storage rising to 82.4% from 79.8% the previous week. Steady mid-winter rainfall sustained the positive trend, helping replenish multiple catchments across the province.
Western Cape dam levels on week ending Monday, 14 July 2025
In the major dam system, Theewaterskloof—the province’s largest reservoir—climbed from 75.9% to 77.9% of capacity, reflecting consistent inflows.
Voëlvlei responded strongly to the rainfall, rising 6.6 percentage points to 78.9%. Steelebras Lower, previously steady, jumped from 67.8% to 74.5%, while Wemmershoek edged up to 84.0%.
In contrast, Berg River and Steenbras Upper experienced minor declines, dipping by 0.5 and 0.8 percentage points respectively.
Rainfall Analysis
Rainfall across the catchments remained healthy during this reportng period. The Newlands gauge recorded 289.5 mm since the hydrological year began, well above the average 291 mm.
Wynberg and Wemmershoek measured 186.4 mm and 172.8 mm respectively, while Woodhead logged 244.5 mm of precipitation. Steenbras received 157.8 mm, Voëlvlei 101.1 mm and Theewaterskloof 74.2 mm.
These figures reflect a broadly favourable rainfall pattern supporting dam recovery.
A look at changes in major dams
| Dam | Capacity (ML) | Storage % on 14 July 2025 | Storage % Previous Week | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theewaterskloof | 480188 | 77.9 | 75.9 | +2.0 |
| Voëlvlei | 164095 | 78.9 | 72.3 | +6.6 |
| Berg River | 130010 | 94.7 | 95.2 | -0.5 |
| Wemmershoek | 58644 | 84.0 | 81.0 | +3.0 |
| Steenbras Lower | 33622 | 74.5 | 67.8 | +6.7 |
| Steenbras Upper | 31767 | 93.9 | 94.7 | -0.8 |
Cape Town minor dams weekly changes
Smaller dams around Cape Town generally showed good performance. Land‑en‑Zeezicht increased to 82.4%, while Kleinplaats and Victoria improved to 58.7% and 29.7%, respectively.
Woodhead, Alexandra, De Villiers and Hely‑Hutchinson all registered slight decreases, suggesting localised drawdown or variable inflows.
| Dam | Capacity (ML) | Storage % on 14 July 2025 | Storage % Previous Week | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Gay | 57 | 100.6 | 100.5 | +0.1 |
| Wynberg | 103 | 94.7 | 93.2 | +1.5 |
| Alexandra | 85 | 46.4 | 49.6 | -3.2 |
| Victoria | 27 | 29.7 | 26.5 | +3.2 |
| Woodhead | 927 | 92.2 | 99.8 | -7.6 |
| Hely-Hutchinson | 955 | 77.3 | 83.0 | -5.7 |
| De Villiers | 243 | 87.7 | 89.1 | -1.4 |
| Land-en-Zeezicht | 100 | 82.4 | 76.3 | +6.1 |
| Kleinplaats | 160 | 58.7 | 54.9 | +3.8 |
Water demand continues to place steady draw on supplies, with average daily consumption at 809 million litres per day. Despite this, the majority of reservoirs remain in healthier states than in recent years.
If rainfall continues at current levels, the province is likely to see further gains in dam storage next week. However, small dips in certain reservoirs show that consistent inflows remain essential to sustain this positive momentum through the heart of winter.