Cape Town assesses water restrictions as Western Cape dam levels fall

Cape Town is considering water restrictions as dam levels decline and authorities assess the risk of a hotter, drier summer. Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina told Parliament that modelling is under way to determine whether restrictions or other demand-management measures are needed across the Western Cape Water Supply System. Combined dam storage was about 74.81% on 5 October 2026, below the level recorded at the same time last year. The City has warned high-consuming households to reduce their water use or risk supply restrictions.