Where does my water come from?
The water that comes out of your tap has travelled a long way. Your water originates many hundreds of kilometres away as water vapour that evaporates off the South Atlantic Ocean.
Where does my water come from?
Water vapour rises in clouds off the ocean and falls as rain on the mountains surrounding Cape Town. From there, it trickles down mountain streams and rivers to be stored in one of the 14 dams supplying Cape Town. On its way to Cape Town, your water passes through pipelines tunnelling through mountain ranges, through pump stations or an electricity generator, is cleaned and made safe to drink at one of the City’s 12 treatment plants, is stored in a reservoir, and then travels through kilometres of pipes to reach your tap.
To find out where your water comes from, view our
map of water distribution areas in Cape Town.
Cape Town obtains its drinking water from different dams and groundwater sources, so the water coming out of your tap depends on where you are situated in the city. Please note that our map is only an approximate guide, as the water reticulation system is integrated and much mixing occurs within the pipes and reservoirs. The City also switches between water sources, especially during water restrictions, to optimise raw water resources.
Learn more about residential and commercial water restricitions.
To find out more about Cape Town's regional water sources, see our poster:
Regional Water Resources (English)
Regional Water Resources (Afrikaans)
Help us save water
Living in a water-scarce region means that it’s up to all of us to use water wisely. Make a difference by applying these
water-saving tips
at home, at your business or organisation.
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