Water warning for residents of South Africa’s Mother City

Cape Town’s water security is under renewed pressure, with the city issuing an urgent call for residents to curb consumption after usage surged during recent hot days.

Dam levels are now 19% lower than at the same time last year, sparking concern that continued overuse could push the city towards water restrictions if demand is not reduced swiftly.

According to the city’s Water and Sanitation directorate, lower annual rainfall has resulted in reduced inflows to dams, placing increased pressure on Cape Town’s water supply system.

On top of this, there has been excessive average daily water use by Capetonians as a collective, above the target of less than 975 million litres per day (MLD).

For example, on 5 January 2026, 1,048 million litres of water were consumed, a trend that was seen throughout December.

Another key issue is that of Cape Town’s non-revenue water (NRW). A late 2025 report by the city noted NRW at close to 24%, below their 29% target.

This is better than South Africa’s national average, around 47%, but still a major issue plaguing the city, with losses attributed to leaks, theft, and metering issues.

The City’s dam storage levels currently stand at 69,1%, which will need to sustain water supply until the next seasonal rainfall cycle.

“This is a critical moment for us, where we must reduce the unnecessary litres of water used in our homes, in industrial and agricultural processes, and at work. We can’t afford to be complacent any longer,” said Water and Sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien.

“Early proactive measures are far more effective than emergency restrictions. We need to be water-wise at all times,” he added.

Badroodien said residents must reduce water use while the City addresses pipe bursts and leaks, upgrades ageing infrastructure, improves pressure management and metering, and accelerates repairs.

Cape Town’s near ‘Day Zero’ lessons

Cape Town’s water crisis reached a critical point in early 2018, when the city of about four million people narrowly avoided “Day Zero” — the shutdown of municipal taps due to dangerously low dam levels.

Triggered by rapid population growth and three consecutive years of severe drought, the crisis was described as one of the worst drought-induced municipal water failures in the country’s modern history.

Dam levels fell from full capacity in 2014 to about 26% by January 2018, with authorities planning to cut supply at 13.5%.

Officials warned that without drastic reductions, residents would be limited to 25 litres of water per person per day.

The City implemented emergency measures, including strict usage limits, bans on filling pools and washing cars, pressure reductions, and preparation of hundreds of communal water collection points.

Water patrols were deployed to prevent theft, and price gouging of bottled water became a concern. Public compliance eventually improved, resulting in a reduction of about 30% in overall demand.

Day Zero was repeatedly postponed and ultimately averted due to drastic conservation, emergency interventions, and the return of rainfall.

Temporary desalination plants were introduced, though they were costly and environmentally contentious.

Badroodien said that the City is advancing long-term plans to secure Cape Town’s water future by reducing reliance on rain-fed dams, including introducing new sources such as desalination and water reuse from 2031.

Desalination is a key part of Cape Town’s long-term water security plan.

Their first permanent desalination plant at Paarden Eiland will produce up to 70 million litres of potable water per day. Construction costs are estimated at about R5 billion.