Residents urged to save water as dam levels decline

THE National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is calling on all water users in the Western Cape to step up their water-saving efforts as dam levels across the province have seen a slight decline.

- STAFF REPORTER

According to the hydrological report released on Monday, the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS), comprising the province's six largest dams, is currently at 87.79%. This represents a 1.27% decrease from last week's 89.06%. Notably, at the same time last year, the WCWSS stood significantly higher at 98.75%.

The Gouritz River Catchment, which encompasses the Little and Greater Karoo and parts of the coastal belt, has experienced a more substantial decline, now at 50.19% compared to 88.77% a year ago.

Individual dams show similar trends, with Theewaterskloof Dam, the province's largest and responsible for over 50% of the Western Cape's water supply, currently at 81.46%, down from 82.91% last week. Prinsrivier and Gamka Poort dams have each recorded declines exceeding 5%.