By Abdullahi Lukman
Cape Town residents have been urged to urgently reduce non-essential water use after daily consumption rose well above the City’s summer target, heightening concerns over long-term water security amid increasingly unpredictable rainfall.
The City of Cape Town has set a collective summer target of keeping water use below 975 million litres per day (MLD) to reduce the risk posed by below-average or erratic rainfall expected in 2026.
However, average daily consumption reached 1 025 MLD by 31 December 2025, while dam levels stood at 70.5 percent.
City officials warned that climate change is significantly altering rainfall patterns in the Western Cape, leading to longer dry spells, shorter and more intense rainfall events, and less reliable dam replenishment.
Scientific projections point to greater rainfall variability, hotter summers, higher evaporation and rising water demand.
Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the situation requires collective action, even though there is no immediate crisis.
He noted that the City’s main supply dams are currently 19.2% lower than at the same time last year and that daily water use has consistently exceeded one billion litres.
The City has called on residents, businesses and visitors to adopt water-wise practices, including taking shorter showers, limiting garden watering to early morning or evening, covering swimming pools to reduce evaporation, and avoiding unnecessary laundry and hose use.
Officials said early and sustained reductions in consumption are essential to protect water security, limit the need for sudden restrictions and ensure adequate reserves should rainfall in 2026 fall below average.
