Cape Town - Despite the Western Cape's dam levels increasing favourably due to recent rainfall, water users have been urged to continue using water sparingly.
The national Department of Water and Sanitation said dam levels in the province had improved from 64.4% to 65.7% last week.
"This increase can be attributed to rains that fell in the catchments recently. According to the latest dam levels report issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) the Western Cape Water Supply System has improved to 75.51% this week," the department said.
"DWS would like to caution water users that, despite this increase, the province is still recovering from the devastating drought effects."
Provincial Head in the Western Cape Rashid Khan said the province was not out of the woods considering the end of rainy season was nearly upon us.
"Once temperatures rise, our dams will experience evaporation," Khan said. "Some of the dams especially in the Karoo are still a concern. Water users should bear in mind that water restrictions in the province will continue being implemented until the dam levels reach 85%."
This week, Theewaterskloof dam, the largest dam supplying the City of Cape Town and other municipalities is at 57.64% compared to 27.67% at the same time last year.
The Berg River dam is 100% full and Clanwilliam dam in the West Coast Region is at 99.82%.
Information supplied by Department of Water and Sanitation. Graphic: Lance Witten/Cape Argus
As different municipalities relax restrictions, water users have been reminded to be cautious of their water usage.
"To avoid the devastating water challenges in the province, I urge all water users to be responsible when using water. We all know that the province does not get rain in summer. We need to use every drop wisely so that agriculture and the economy are not affected," Khan said.