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Only 1.6% increase in Western Cape dams after #CapeStorm

As predicted, last week’s storms on Wednesday and Thursday in the Western Cape hardly had very little impact on the province’s severely dry levels.

Before the storms hit last week, the South African Weather Service forecast that despite more than 50mm and over 100mm of rain falling on Wednesday and Thursday, this would not do much to improve levels.

According to the provincial government, as of yesterday, the entire province’s total dam storage is now at 21.2%, which is still dangerously low. With the last 10% of water not suitable for consumption, this effectively means levels are at 11.2%.

“After fielding many enquiries from members of the public, the City wishes to emphasise that due to the severity of the drought, above-target consumption, as well as the unpredictability of climatic conditions, Level 4 water restrictions remain in place indefinitely over the long-term and could be intensified if warranted,” the City of Cape Town said.

“It may take a few seasons of normal rainfall for the dams to recover and therefore continuing to cut water use drastically is vital. It will also help us to build up some reserves for another tough summer that is expected,” said Cape Town MMC for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.

Gauteng’s dam levels managed to climb back from around 30% to over 90% in a few months after a series of floods hit the province between November 2016 and February this year.

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