Cape Town Big Six dam levels
75.0%
Combined storage on 14 Sept 2026 · Department of Water and Sanitation weekly update
This year+5.9%
Typical by now+14.5%
vs last year-16.8%
Comfortable — 75.0% full, 16.8% below last year.Updated 14 Sept 2026
2026 so far current year readingsTypical year to date median of 2018–20252025 to date last year
Current dam levels
Cape Town's Big Six dams hold 667 of their 890 gigalitres of capacity — 75.0% full (a gigalitre is a billion litres). That is 16.8% below the same week last year and 56.6% above the crisis low of 2017. The current reading sits 7.2% below the 10-year average for this week.
Individual dam levels
Current vs one week ago (07 Sept 2026)
At a glance
Current level vs one week ago
| Dam | Current | 1W ago | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theewaterskloof | 75.9% | 75.9% | +0.0 |
| Voëlvlei | 58.6% | 59.2% | -0.6 |
| Berg River | 91.0% | 91.1% | -0.1 |
| Wemmershoek | 88.8% | 90.9% | -2.1 |
| Steenbras Lower | 46.2% | 47.0% | -0.8 |
| Steenbras Upper | 83.3% | 83.1% | +0.2 |
| Combined | 75.0% | 75.2% | -0.2 |
Combined level — last 12 months
Currently 16.8% below the same week in 2025
20262025
Typical by now: 526 mm · last year by now: 473 mm — in line with a typical year.
2026 cumulative mm since 1 JanTypical median of 2010–20252025 last year
Is this normal?
At 75.0%, Cape Town enters spring 16.8% below last year at this point. The current reading sits 7.2% below the 10-year average for this week and almost double the 2017 crisis level. See full history →
Full-year overlay
Seasonal shape for key years overlaid — showing where 2026 sits in the historical range
Same-week comparison
The same week in each year vs the current level
| Period | Level | vs now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 75.0% | — | |
| 2025 | 91.8% | -16.8 | |
| 2024 | 100.7% | -25.7 | |
| 2023 | 101.9% | -26.9 | |
| 2022 | 86.0% | -11.0 | |
| 2021 | 101.0% | -26.0 | |
| 2020 | 96.4% | -21.4 | |
| 2019 | 81.5% | -6.5 | |
| 2018 | 69.6% | +5.4 | |
| 2017 (drought) | 36.8% | +38.2 | |
| 2016 | 56.4% | +18.6 | |
| 2015 | 91.1% | -16.1 | |
| 2014 | — | — | |
| 2013 | 101.2% | -26.2 | |
| 2012 | — | — | |
| 2011 | 97.4% | -22.4 | |
| 2010 | 91.8% | -16.8 | |
| 10-yr avg | 82.2% | -7.2 |
Why the biggest dams matter most
Not all dams are the same size. Theewaterskloof alone carries 53.9% of total system capacity, which is why changes in the biggest dams can move the citywide number quickly.
Dam size vs current level
Theewaterskloof holds over half the system — and it's 75.9% full
Theewaterskloof
Voëlvlei
Berg River
Wemmershoek
Steenbras Lower
Steenbras Upper
Historical weekly combined levels
The full record of Big Six storage — showing every peak, trough, and recovery
Combined weekly storage levelCurrent week (14 Sept 2026)
Total Western Cape dam capacity889.6 GL
Current storage666.9 GL
Overall % capacity now75.0%
Where the dams sit in the Western Cape
Big Six dams that supply the city, sized by capacity and filled by current level
Outer ring = total capacity · Filled area = current level
Simplified visual map for orientation, not an official boundary product.