DWS welcomes the rains in the Western Cape this past week, though not much significance in dam levels
The National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) acknowledges the rains that fell over the weekend and earlier this week in the Western Cape catchments.
Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the National Department of Water and Sanitation, says while the recent rains are welcomed, there was no significant runoff into the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS), which consists of six large dams in the Western Cape. “The WCWSS saw a slight increase of less than 1% on the average level this week, however, a notable increase can be seen in the Berg River Catchment area,” says Mavasa.
On average, the Western Cape has recorded a slight increase in its storage capacity from last week’s 50.8% to 51.2% this week.
In individual dams, the Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest dam in the province with a capacity of 480, 406 megalitres, is sitting at 55,46%, a stable yield compared to 55,39 last week. The Berg River. Eikenhof and Stettynskloof are the only dams that have seen an increase of more than 5% this week.
Most parts of the Western Cape receive significant rainfall during the winter months, however, climate change has the potential to alter rainfall patterns, resulting in uncertainty in predicting rainfall. For this reason, DWS calls upon all water users to continue using water sparingly to ensure water security for the province.
“Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”
For more information, contact
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935
