Cape Town’s combined dam levels reached 81.3% on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, according to data released by the City of Cape Town and the National Department of Water and Sanitation.
The reading represents a slight decrease from the previous week’s 83.5% recorded on 24 November.
This level is also lower than the 96.2% recorded during the same period in 2024.
The city said authorities monitor these levels to determine water availability for the region and assess whether restrictions are necessary for residents and businesses.
“The dam levels are critical for Cape Town’s water supply.”
Storage across major dams
Individual dam levels showed varying performance across the Western Cape Water Supply System.
Steenbras Upper Dam recorded the highest capacity at 97.3% on 25 November, a slight dip from 98.2% recorded in the previous week.
Voëlvlei Dam stood at 90.5% capacity, down from 91.9% the week before.
Berg River Dam registered 87.7% capacity, down from the previous week’s 88.3% but still significantly lower than the 99.3% recorded in 2024.
Steenbras Lower Dam reached 79.7%, compared to 80.7% the previous week.
Wemmershoek Dam held at 79.5% capacity, whilst Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the system, stood at 75.6%.
Integrated water supply network
The dams form part of an integrated and collectively managed system that extends beyond Cape Town’s boundaries.
The Western Cape Water Supply System comprises dams, pump stations, pipelines and tunnels that work together to distribute water across multiple regions.
Beyond servicing Cape Town, the system supplies water to towns in the following areas:
- Overberg
- Boland
- West Coast
- Swartland
The network also provides irrigation water for agricultural activities across these regions.
Understanding storage measurements
Because each dam varies in size, the City of Cape Town and the Department of Water and Sanitation emphasise that the total quantity stored, expressed as a percentage of total dam capacity, serves as the most accurate indicator of overall water availability.
On 25 November, the total stored volume reached 729 871 megalitres out of a combined capacity of 898 221 megalitres across the six major dams.
The weekly comparison showed total stored volume at 734 444 megalitres on 24 November and 749 764 megalitres the previous week, with the 2024 figure standing at 863,876 megalitres for the same period.
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