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Dam · Western Cape · South Africa · DWS

Ceres Dam

103.9% full

Total capacity

17.3 hm³

River

Koekedou River

Basin

Breede-Olifants

Primary use

water supply

Operator

DWS South Africa

Coordinates

33.363°S, 19.273°E

Last updated

2026-10-19

Current fill

103.9%
Full

vs 7 days ago

-0.9 pp

losing

vs 1 year ago

+7.2 pp

year-over-year

7-day trend

→

stable

Drought context

Rain over the last three months · 11 October 2026

Moderately dry

In the three months to 11 October 2026 the area around Ceres Dam had well below normal rain, a shortfall seen about one year in six. Rainfall compared with the long-run record for the same season at this point (Copernicus Global Drought Observatory, SPI-3 index −1.19). Rain, not storage. South Africa drought figures →

Weekly storage

Fill history — multi-year

About this dam

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. 33.363°S, 19.273°E · Open in Google Maps

About Ceres Dam

As of October 19, 2026, Ceres Dam is filled to 103.9% of its total capacity, holding 18 hm³ of water out of a maximum 17.3 hm³. At this level the reservoir is effectively full.

Over the most recent week on record the fill level has held broadly steady (-0.9 pp), and it is 7.2 points above its level on the same date a year earlier.

Across the readings we hold for Ceres Dam — 20 data points between October 19, 2025 and October 19, 2026 — the level has ranged from a low of 62.0% (May 31, 2026) to a high of 110.8% (September 28, 2026). On average the reservoir is fullest around September and at its lowest around May.

It is operated by DWS South Africa primarily for water supply. It lies within the Breede-Olifants basin at 33.363°S, 19.273°E.

Key facts

Current fill level
103.9% of total capacity
Water stored
18 hm³
Total capacity
17.3 hm³
7-day change
▼ 0.9 pp
Year-on-year
▲ 7.2 pp
Primary use
Water supply
River
Koekedou River
River basin
Breede-Olifants
Operator
DWS South Africa
Coordinates
33.363°S, 19.273°E
Last updated
October 19, 2026

Recent readings

DateFill levelVolume (hm³)
19 Oct 2026103.9%18
12 Oct 2026104.8%18.1
5 Oct 2026105.7%18.3
28 Sep 2026110.8%19.2
21 Sep 2026110.2%19.1
31 Aug 202696.9%16.7
24 Aug 202698.1%16.9
17 Aug 202698.8%17
10 Aug 202699.4%17.1
3 Aug 2026100.0%17.2
27 Jul 2026100.0%17.2
29 Jun 2026101.2%17.5

Nearby reservoirs

See also: South Africa dam levels, explained — how the DWS Weekly State of Dams report becomes the national and provincial figures.