The forgotten dams of Table Mountain

Residents of Cape Town are becoming increasingly concerned with the threat of water scarcity as the levels of local water are becoming lower and lower. This particular region has historically had problems with their water supply, dating all the way back to the 1800’s. During these times, their main source of water was the Disa River, until Thomas Stewart constructed several stone dams that lay on Table Mountain. This mountain has the ability to store several liters of water at once from winter rain.

Key Takeaways:

In the late 1800’s the main source of water for the city of Cape Town was the Disa River, which slowed to a trickle during the summer.
In the 1890’s, Thomas Stewart, a Scottish hydraulic engineer, was hired to build a series of dams on Table Mountain, above Cape Town.
The largest dam on Table Mountain, Woodhead Dam, created a reservoir which holds nearly 1 billion litres of water to supply Cape Town during the summer.

“High above the city, five remarkable stone dams tell the long history of Cape Town’s strained relationship with water”