South Africa relies on a network of dams for water supply, agriculture, and various economic activities. This article explores the current state of dams in South Africa, focusing on water storage levels, dam types, and the importance of responsible water usage.
Current Dam Levels in the Western Cape
The average water storage across the province on 3 November 2025 is 79.6%. Cape Town dam levels on 7 November 2025: 85.9%.
You can keep track of the water storage levels in dams across the province using the map below.
Our province is supplied with water by a number of large dams. These dams collectively hold a maximum storage capacity of 1 870.4 million cubic meters.
Water Security for All | Conservation South Africa (CSA)
The Importance of Water Conservation
Our water security is vital for almost everything we do, which is why it's important that we all work together to ease demand on our water supply. Remember, every drop counts! Residents and visitors are encouraged to always use water responsibly. Read more on why we should save water.
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Other than using water in our homes for cooking, washing and sanitation, water also plays a central role in the economy of the Western Cape. The agriculture sector relies heavily on a reliable and sustainable water supply in order to produce good crops and sustain livestock. The manufacturing sector also needs water to produce manufactured goods.
How to Help Save Water
- Get creative with new ways to save as much as you can.
- Report leaks and burst pipes to your local municipality.
- Use our water saving tips and follow your municipality's guidelines for water restrictions.
- Share your water saving ideas on social media and encourage family and friends to do their bit as well, so that we save as much water as we possibly can, together!
Water is also lost to evaporation, leaks in water supply pipes, and deliberate water wastage.
Dam Types and Registration
The South African Register of January 2009 contains information pertaining to 1 082 large dams. South Africa has a greater number of dams classified as “small” than those classified as “large”.
These dams are mostly owned by the agricultural sector, primarily for irrigation and stock watering. Some local authorities also own such dams for water supply to towns.
Owners of such dams are required to register the dams with the Department of Water and Sanitation. The dams are then classified into different categories depending on their hazard potential rating which considers potential loss of life and potential economic loss that may result from dam failure.
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The total number of registered dams is 4 457 of which 4 173 (94%) have been classified into the different dam safety categories. The height of a dam is different for the reason given above.
The registration of dams commenced in 1986 and after a 5-year build-up period, the rate of annual registrations has remained essentially steady.
The percentage distribution of dam types in South Africa is shown below. Some dams consist of a combination of dam types such as a concrete gravity spillway plus earth flanks.
Changing technology and the dam site characteristics (geology, floods and topography) influence the selection of dam types. Most dams in South Africa are constructed from earthfill.
Dam Development Over Time
The development of major dams over time is shown graphically below. The figures illustrate that there was a lull in dam development during the Second World War, but accelerated in the period from 1970 to 1980 with the construction of the Orange River Project and the Thukela-Vaal Project. There has been a progressive decline in dam development from 1980.
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Dam Heights in South Africa
The distribution of the heights of large dams in South Africa is tabulated below. Most large dams in South Africa are lower than 30 m in height.
The storage capacity of the Sterkfontein Dam in the upper Vaal River catchment is virtually the same as that of Vaal Dam, while its water surface area is only 20% of that of Vaal Dam. The evaporation losses from Sterkfontein Dam are accordingly far lower than those from Vaal Dam.
The shortest dam is Hellsgate near Uitenhage built in 1910 with a crest length of only 4 m. The dam with the largest wall volume (volume of material) is Sterkfontein near Harrismith with an earthfill volume of 19.8 million m3.
The largest floods are expected in the Vaal River and provision has been made in Vaal Dam for a spillway capacity of 25 000 m3/s.
Dam Locality Number
Based on the Drainage Regions in South Africa and a unique number for the specific dam.
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