Dam levels in the Western Cape showed a small increase during the week of Tuesday, 17 June 2025, with the total storage across dams rising to 64.6%. This marks a 0.8 percentage point increase from the previous week’s reading.
Western Cape dam levels on Tuesday, 17 June 2025
The modest increase follows consistent but limited rainfall across the province’s main catchment areas, aiding water retention in both major and minor dams.
Storage in the province’s major dams showed gradual improvement. Theewaterskloof Dam, the Western Cape’s largest reservoir, rose from 62.3% to 63.4%. Voëlvlei Dam also recorded a marginal gain, moving up from 59.8% to 60.5%.
Wemmershoek Dam increased to 60.6%, up from 59.3%, while Steenbras Upper Dam improved from 91.2% to 91.8%.
Berg River Dam remained unchanged at 73.9%. Steenbras Lower Dam, however, declined slightly, falling from 46.4% to 45.9%.
Rainfall Analysis
Rainfall figures for the week were generally subdued but consistent enough to support incremental gains in dam levels. Newlands registered 25.0 mm, while Wemmershoek received 20.3 mm and Steenbras 18.1 mm.
Voëlvlei and Theewaterskloof both recorded between 15 mm and 20 mm of rainfall.
These amounts remain below the long-term average for June but were sufficient to maintain a positive trajectory in water storage.
A look at changes in major dams
| Dam | Capacity (ML) | Storage % on 17 June 2025 | Storage % Previous Week | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theewaterskloof | 480188 | 63.4% | 62.3% | +1.1 |
| Voëlvlei | 164095 | 60.5% | 59.8% | +0.7 |
| Berg River | 130010 | 73.9% | 73.9% | 0.0 |
| Wemmershoek | 58644 | 60.6% | 59.3% | +1.3 |
| Steenbras Lower | 33017 | 45.9% | 46.4% | -0.5 |
| Steenbras Upper | 31767 | 91.8% | 91.2% | +0.6 |
Cape Town minor dams weekly changes
Minor dams in Cape Town presented a mixed picture. Hely-Hutchinson Dam increased to 40.0%, up from 38.4%. De Villiers Dam edged up to 94.1% from 92.9%, and Alexandra Dam climbed to 35.6%, a minor increase from the previous 34.7%.
Kleinplaats recorded a more significant rise, from 9.3% to 14.3%. On the downside, Land-en-Zeezicht fell slightly to 73.5% from 74.8%, while Lewis Gay Dam dropped to 96.3% from 100.9%. The most notable decrease occurred at Woodhead Dam, which declined from 67.1% to 49.6%.
Victoria Dam remained dry, with a reading of 0%.
| Dam | Capacity (ML) | Storage % on 17 June 2025 | Storage % Previous Week | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Villiers | 240 | 62.9% | 60.8% | +2.1 |
| Hely-Hutchinson | 955 | 90.0% | 89.1% | +0.9 |
| Kleinplaats | 129 | 96.6% | 91.6% | +5.0 |
| Land-en-Zeezicht | 315 | 93.3% | 94.6% | -1.3 |
| Lewis Gay | 91 | 65.3% | 66.5% | -1.2 |
| Victoria | 128 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Woodhead | 927 | 49.6% | 67.1% | -17.5 |
Water consumption in the City of Cape Town averaged 812 million litres per day during the reporting period.Water production was sourced primarily from the major dams, contributing 88.5% of supply, followed by minor dams at 4.3%, and groundwater and springs at 7.2%.
If rainfall persists at current levels or increases in the coming weeks, dam levels are expected to continue their gradual rise. However, without significant winter rains, storage levels may not reach the levels achieved in previous years, placing continued importance on water conservation efforts across the province.