The City of Cape Town says its Water Restrictions Committee is considering implementing water restrictions as an extra proactive measure to help protect supply, amid an expected longer, drier and hotter summer.
As of Monday, 7 September, dams that supply Cape Town with water were at 75,5%. This is 16,9% less compared to the same time last year, which was 92,4%.
The City says its Water Teams are driving a multi-pronged action plan to help save water through its services and infrastructure, ranging from proactively replacing pipes to detecting leaks and prioritising turnaround times to fix pipe bursts.
But a collective effort is needed from all residents and businesses.
The City says its latest 2026 Water Outlook does not indicate an immediate risk to water supply, but the risk of restrictions has increased compared with previous years, particularly if demand continues to grow and rainfall is lower than expected.
Over this past summer of 2025/26, dam levels dropped by about 40% due to peak demand.
Typically, dam levels need to be 80% or more by the time the National Department of Water and Sanitation conducts its Annual Operating Analysis (AOA) in November, to avoid the Department implementing water restrictions for a municipality.
The City can, however, decide to implement water restrictions based on its own assessment.
‘Cape Town is a water-scarce city, and using water wisely should remain part of our everyday habits. By working together and maintaining a steady, responsible approach, we can help safeguard our water resources for the months ahead,’ said Alderman Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
