The recent winter rainfall in the Western Cape region has led to significant inflows into dams, increasing the average dam levels to over 50%.

The Western Cape Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) noted that the rainfall thus far had not lead to very high flows in rivers, mitigating the risk of flooding. However, the pooling of water on the Cape Flats due to saturation of soils and the high levels of groundwater remains a high risk to acceptable living conditions of people residing in these areas on the Cape Flats.

Despite this, the DWS has called on residents to be cautious and exercise safety around water sources. People who stay within the 1:100 year flood lines are especially advised to be on the alert.

According to DWS, the design and construction of dams in the Western Cape is not intended to mitigate against floods – they are storage dams that are operated to capture as much of the rain as possible for the dry summer months. The inflows into the dams are being tracked very closely so that water security remains a high priority.

While the rains have recharged the dam levels significantly, the DWS has urged our communities to continue conserving this precious resource.