Cape Town dams 25.4% full

Despite an increase in water levels since June, the City of Cape Town says dam storage levels and usable water are still very low. The city said in a statement on Monday that dam storage levels were at 25.4% and usable water levels were at approximately 15.4%.

Water levels have increased by 6%, from 19.4%, since June 6.

In 2016, at this time, dams were 36% full.

Collective water usage is 619-million litres per day, which is 119-million litres above the new target of 500-million litres of collective water usage under Level 4b water restrictions.

All water users are required to use less than 87 l of water per person per day.

The city’s mayoral committee member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Xanthea Limberg, encouraged everyone to brainstorm new ways of saving water.

Limberg said plans to partner with the private sector - to create a short-term emergency water supply using desalination, storm water capture or aquifer extractions - were in progress.

"Today [Monday] is the closing date for responses in terms of the Request for Information to the private sector, which we issued to see how partnerships can help us with our short-term emergency supply schemes," Limberg said.

She said all submissions would be analysed from this week onward.

Other emergency and high-user interventions were also under way.