The City of Cape Town has appealed to residents be more water-wise and minimise non-essential consumption due to excessive water usage over the past few weeks.
The City has set a collective water-wise daily usage target of less than 975 million litres per day (MLD) for the summer season.
This allocation was determined to mitigate the risk associated with below average or unpredictable rainfall during 2026, and to maintain a reliable water supply.
As of Wednesday, 31 December 2025, the average water usage stood at 1 025MLD, with the city’s dam levels at 70.5%.
“Currently, the City’s main supply dams are 19.2% lower than last year at this time and as a city, we have collectively and consistently been using over 1 000 million litres of water daily.
“While there is no immediate reason for concern, all Capetonians, visitors and businesses are encouraged to carefully manage their water use over the coming months,” the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said.
Badroodien said early and sustained reductions in water use help protect water security, reduce the risk of sudden restrictions, and ensure that sufficient reserves are available should rainfall in 2026 be below average.
“Adjusting water-use habits now across households, businesses and the tourism sector will help build resilience against climate-related shocks and safeguard water supplies,” he said.
The City reminds the public of some key tips to keep water usage down:
- Take short, stop-start showers or small baths. The maximum flow rate of new and replaced showerheads may not exceed seven litres.
- Wash more with less, for laundry and dishes. Only wash clothes and dishes (pots, cups etc) when really needed. Washing and spot-cleaning can use less water.
- Turn off taps and hoses when not using the water.
- Only water gardens before 09:00 or after 18:00 to avoid evaporation losses.
- Keep summer fun water-wise. Use water mindfully for children’s play and cooling. Use a wet cloth to cool down hot skin and avoid wasteful spraying of water. - SAnews.gov.za
