Western Cape dam levels hold steady as rains continue

Western Cape dam levels have decreased slightly but are largely holding steady after recent rains.

According to the department of local government, environmental affairs and development planning, the average dam level for the province is 65.7%. Last week, the figure was 65.9%.

Department MEC Anton Bredell welcomed the good rainfall that the province has seen to date, but urged caution as the end of winter draws near.

“The Western Cape is a winter rainfall area and we get the bulk of our rainfall largely in the months up to the end of August. While we have seen a massive improvement in dam levels around the province over the past few weeks, we can never be comfortable enough. We want to urge continued responsible water usage,” Bredell said.

He said the province continued to implement “multiple” measures to ensure greater water security. These include clearing out alien vegetation in the catchment areas.

“CapeNature has spent R39.4m over the past four years in tackling the problem of alien vegetation infestations on CapeNature managed land. Clearing alien vegetation yields greater water security and environmental sustainability.

“Some of CapeNature’s studies show alien clearing in the catchments in the upper Berg River, releases up to 26.5 million cubic metres of additional water per year into the Western Cape river system. The work will continue despite continued budget cuts from national treasury hampering efforts.”