Cape Town water use off the charts: Lest we forget Day Zero!

Cape Town's water story is once again flashing warning signs. Summer demand is rising as water use has surged past safe levels, while rainfall and dam storage levels lag behind those of last year.  

Latest figures shared by the City of Cape Town, Wednesday, 10 December:

• Combined dam levels sit at 77%, about 17.6% lower than this time last year
• Water use last week reached 1,026 million litres per day (MLD), well above the City's 975 MLD target

The City of Cape Town is urging residents to be water-wise as summer demand rises. Every extra litre used now increases pressure on supplies heading into 2026. 

A call to act early

Cape Town moved into an "early drought caution" status in October, according to the City's Water and Sanitation Directorate. While no immediate crisis is declared, the signal allows authorities to prepare response measures and urges the public to reduce demand now to avoid tougher restrictions later. 

Keeping collective water use below 975 MLD, fixing leaks, limiting garden irrigation and pool top-ups and complying with permanent water regulations are critical steps to safeguard supply until the next winter rain cycle. 

Remembering the drought of 2018

Cape Town's 2015–2018 drought remains one of the most severe urban water crises in the world. After three consecutive years of poor winter rainfall, dam levels plunged below 20%, and we were within weeks of "Day Zero" - the point at which most taps would have been turned off.

The prep to queue for daily water allocations is something many of us can't easily forget. It was a period of intense water resource management and public cooperation to turn the situation around - and it serves as a reminder that it can be done.

So keep being water-wise this Summer - because every drop counts.