Capacity share
17.8%
A meaningful contributor to the city's total storage.
Individual dam profile
Voëlvlei
Voëlvlei is currently at 58.6%, holding 92.9 of its 158.6 gigalitres of capacity. That is 41.1% below the same week last year (99.7%). Against the same-week long-run average, it sits 22.7% below. Relative to 2017's drought benchmark week, it is 31.6% higher.
58.6% full · Updated 14 Sept 2026 92.9 / 158.6 GL
Role in the system
Voëlvlei makes up 17.8% of total system capacity but currently holds only 13.9% of the stored water — it's emptier than the system as a whole.
Share of stored water
13.9%
Emptier than the system average — there is room to recover.
Location
Near Gouda in the Swartland, north of Paarl.
Voëlvlei in the Western Cape supply system
Big Six dams shown; Voëlvlei highlighted.
Outer ring = total capacity · Filled area = current level
Background and reference facts
Voëlvlei is an off-channel style storage asset near Gouda that turned a natural depression into one of the system's largest reservoirs and later became more deeply integrated with Berg River transfers.
Origin story
Built on a natural depression
Voëlvlei was created by enlarging an existing lake-like depression, which gives it a different character from the steep-walled mountain dams in the system.
Sources: Wikipedia
Expansion
Wall raised in 1969
The first major upgrade came when the wall was raised to increase storage as Cape Town's water demand continued to grow.
Sources: Wikipedia
System role
Transfer-linked reservoir
Because its local catchment is limited, canals and pumped transfers are central to how Voëlvlei fits into the wider water supply system.
Sources: Wikipedia
Storage trend and same-week benchmarks
Voëlvlei is tracking below the long-run average for this time of year. It sits 41.1% below the same week last year.
Weekly trend (last 2 years)
Currently 28.4% below the same week last year and 11.0% below the long-run average.
Same-week comparison by year
At 61.5%, this week sits 34.5% above the 2017 drought benchmark.
Recent weekly readings
| Date | Level | Storage | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 2026 | 61.5% | 100.9 GL | -0.4 |
| 03 Aug 2026 | 61.9% | 101.6 GL | +0.0 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 61.9% | 101.6 GL | +0.2 |
| 20 Jul 2026 | 61.7% | 101.2 GL | +0.1 |
| 13 Jul 2026 | 61.4% | 100.8 GL | +0.6 |
| 06 Jul 2026 | 60.8% | 99.8 GL | +3.1 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 57.7% | 94.7 GL | -1.2 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | 58.9% | 96.7 GL | -0.1 |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 59.0% | 96.8 GL | -0.2 |
| 08 Jun 2026 | 59.2% | 97.1 GL | -0.1 |
| 01 Jun 2026 | 59.3% | 97.3 GL | +0.4 |
| 25 May 2026 | 58.9% | 96.7 GL | +1.5 |