Despite the chill in the air and incessant downpour over the last few days, Capetonians may have something to smile about. According to the provincial government, dam levels across the province are more than 20% higher than they were this time last year, with more rain forecast in the coming week.
In 2020,the average dam levels were at a staggering 53% compared to the current average of 71.5%, reports IOL.
An even bigger recovery is the Clanwilliam dam, which has seen an increase from 23.6% to a whopping 94.2% in the past ten days alone. While the biggest dam in the province, Theewaterskloof dam is currently sitting at 99.5%
Love it or hate it, more rain is expected in the coming days, which could lead to an even greater increase in dam levels, states Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell.
“We are seeing an above-average rainfall season, and we are grateful. Some regions, the Gouritz River catchment area in particular, remain in need of rain. We hope to see some relief there. Elsewhere in the province, especially the City of Cape Town area and the Cape Winelands and Overberg regions, the ground is saturated, and the further rainfall will lead to more localised flooding this week.”
Major Dam Statistics
- Voëlvlei dam – 76.1% full this week (2020: 64%. Last week: 71.7%)
- Bergriver Dam 100% full this week (2020: 93.6%. Last week: 101%).
- Theewaterskloof dam – 99.5% full this week (2020: 68.5%. Last week: 95.7%)
- Clanwilliam Dam 94.2%. (2020: 51.7%. Last week: 74.3%)
Also Read: Heavy rain raises Cape Town’s dam levels to 90%
Picture: Twitter