Dam Levels

South Africa is a water-scarce country that relies heavily on surface water stored in dams and reservoirs to meet domestic, agricultural, and industrial water demands. Monitoring dam storage levels is therefore a critical indicator of national and regional water security, informing decisions around water restrictions, drought responses, irrigation allocations, and infrastructure planning. Dam levels fluctuate seasonally and are closely linked to rainfall patterns, catchment conditions, and rates of water use.

The resources below provide access to current and historical dam level data across South Africa, including weekly status reports from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and satellite-derived surface water extent and dam volume information through the Mzansi Amanzi web application.

Visit the ARC's Weather Risk app to view surface water anomalies between years.