Dam levels across the Western Cape have increased slightly over the last week but are still far below the levels experienced last year, according to statistics from the department of water and sanitation.

The dam levels for the entire province stood at 25.17 percent, up from last week’s 24.08 percent. The dam levels this time last year stood at 45.92 percent.

Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said while the latest figures do not include weekend rainfall which might see dams slightly fuller, the province’s residents were still expected to use water sparingly.

“We must ensure that dam levels recover, so when it starts to rain, consumers should not revert back to using water wastefully,” Bredell said in a statement.

He said there was still hope that dam levels would recover to 75 percent by October.

“We are still in our rainfall period and forecasts of rain remain in place. The question remains, how much more rain will we get and will it fall in the catchment areas?”