Dam · Western Cape · South Africa · DWS
Brandvlei Dam
70.5% full
Total capacity
286.1 hm³
River
Brandvlei
Basin
Breede-Olifants
Primary use
water supply
Operator
DWS
Coordinates
33.667°S, 19.567°E
Last updated
2026-10-19
Current fill
70.5%vs 7 days ago
-0.6 pplosing
vs 1 year ago
-7.3 ppyear-over-year
7-day trend
→stable
Drought context
Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026
Near normal
In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Brandvlei Dam had rain close to normal for the season. Rainfall compared with the long-run record for the same season at this point (Copernicus Global Drought Observatory, SPI-3 index +0.34). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →
Weekly storage
Fill history — multi-year
About this dam
Dam height
35 m
Year built
1981
Dam type
Earthfill
Data source
official
Storage data: Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Weekly State of Dams report, South Africa.
Catchment Weather
Past 30 days + 14-day forecast · Open-Meteo
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics. Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors. 33.667°S, 19.567°E · Open in Google Maps
About Brandvlei Dam
As of October 19, 2026, Brandvlei Dam is filled to 70.5% of its total capacity, holding 201.7 hm³ of water out of a maximum 286.1 hm³. At this level the reservoir is within its normal operating range.
Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (-0.6 pp), and it is 7.3 points below its level on the same date a year earlier.
Across the readings we hold for Brandvlei Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 45.0% (May 31, 2026) to a high of 77.8% (October 19, 2025). On average the reservoir is fullest around October and at its lowest around May.
The dam at Brandvlei Dam stands 35 m tall and is a earthfill dam and was completed in 1981. It is operated by DWS primarily for water supply. It lies within the Breede-Olifants basin at 33.667°S, 19.567°E.
Key facts
- Current fill level
- 70.5% of total capacity
- Water stored
- 201.7 hm³
- Total capacity
- 286.1 hm³
- 7-day change
- ▼ 0.6 pp
- Year-on-year
- ▼ 7.3 pp
- Primary use
- Water supply
- River
- Brandvlei
- River basin
- Breede-Olifants
- Dam height
- 35 m
- Year completed
- 1981
- Operator
- DWS
- Coordinates
- 33.667°S, 19.567°E
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
Recent readings
| Date | Fill level | Volume (hm³) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | 70.5% | 201.7 |
| 12 Oct 2026 | 71.1% | 203.4 |
| 5 Oct 2026 | 69.8% | 199.7 |
| 28 Sep 2026 | 70.9% | 202.8 |
| 21 Sep 2026 | 70.0% | 200.3 |
| 31 Aug 2026 | 66.9% | 191.4 |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 66.1% | 189.1 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | 65.3% | 186.8 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 64.6% | 184.8 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 62.5% | 178.8 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 61.2% | 175.1 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | 52.5% | 150.2 |
Nearby reservoirs
See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.