The latest Cape Town dam levels for the week have just been released, how do you think we are faring?
After the rainfall we experienced last week, up to 43mm in some places in one day, dam levels have increased minimally – despite daily water consumption being 129 million liters over target. It’s a relief to see a rise in these levels, but a gloomy picture remains when you compare last year and the present.
Late last week, the City of Cape Town revealed a plan that would see an estimated 500 million litres of water supplied daily through desalination plants, groundwater extraction and water re-use, but this excellent news does not mean that Capetonians should take their foot off the gas when it comes to saving water; residents are still strongly advised to adhere to the daily consumption target of 87 litres per day. The new plan will not take effect overnight, and the crisis is still as critical as ever.
A cold front, currently passing over Cape Town, promises some rain this evening and temperatures are expected to drop overnight, bringing snow to the higher Western Cape peaks by morning.
Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash