Water Restrictions
Level 2 waterbeperkings in force since 1 March 2026 — what the rules mean day to day, and the ladder above them.
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Level 2 waterbeperkings in force since 1 March 2026 — what the rules mean day to day, and the ladder above them.
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Stellenbosch has been under Level 2 water restrictions (waterbeperkings) since 1 March 2026, after a poor 2025 winter left the town's own Idas Valley dams low. The council sets the level under its Water Services By-law (2017) and publishes the rules as notices on the municipal website; this page keeps the level and its everyday meaning in one place. The by-law has more rungs than shown here — Levels 1 and 3 sit between these — and the municipality publishes each level's exact rules when it declares one.
In force now
Level 2
Mandatory savings: 330 litres per person per day, watering only in set windows, and cuts for business and farms. Declared by council on 25 February 2026, in force from 1 March.
In force since 1 March 2026 · Confirmed 16 July 2026
The District sets the stage
Household water use — Limited
330 litres per person per day. Households that stay over the limit pay a higher stepped tariff, and the municipality can restrict a connection that keeps ignoring it.
Watering gardens with municipal water — Limited
Only on set days and hours. The exact windows are in the municipal notice — check the Water page on stellenbosch.gov.za or ask on the Let's Fix It WhatsApp line, 076 951 0768.
Businesses — Limited
Commercial properties must use 20% less water than in 2025.
Farms — Limited
Agricultural users must use 10% less.
Normal supply and tariffs. Everyday water-wise habits still apply — this is a summer-drought town with 2018 in living memory.
Mandatory savings: 330 litres per person per day, watering only in set windows, and cuts for business and farms. Declared by council on 25 February 2026, in force from 1 March.
Household water use — Limited
330 litres per person per day. Households that stay over the limit pay a higher stepped tariff, and the municipality can restrict a connection that keeps ignoring it.
Watering gardens with municipal water — Limited
Only on set days and hours. The exact windows are in the municipal notice — check the Water page on stellenbosch.gov.za or ask on the Let's Fix It WhatsApp line, 076 951 0768.
Businesses — Limited
About 69% of the town's water is bought from the shared Western Cape Water Supply System dams, roughly a quarter comes from the town's own two Idas Valley dams, and the rest from boreholes and springs. The council declares a level based on how those dams stand — Level 2 came after the Idas Valley dams started the 2025/26 summer low.
Restriction levels track the winter rains: the level is set going into summer and reviewed as the dams recover. Good 2026 winter rain has lifted the shared dams to about 78%, but the municipality had announced no change to Level 2 as of 16 July 2026 — the rules stand until council says otherwise.
Stellenbosch Municipality — Water Services
The municipality publishes restriction notices as PDFs on its website; the Let's Fix It WhatsApp line, 076 951 0768, also answers restriction questions.
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Boreholes and rainwater tanks — Allowed
Encouraged, to spare treated drinking water.
Commercial properties must use 20% less water than in 2025.
Farms — Limited
Agricultural users must use 10% less.
Boreholes and rainwater tanks — Allowed
Encouraged, to spare treated drinking water.
The emergency step Stellenbosch last used from June 2017: no watering with municipal drinking water at all, and 100 litres per person per day strongly encouraged.
Watering or irrigating with municipal drinking water — Not allowed
Applies to lawns, flower beds, vegetable gardens, sports fields, parks and other open spaces.
Irrigating from boreholes or treated effluent — Limited
Tuesdays and Saturdays only, before 09:00 or after 18:00, for at most one hour. Boreholes must be registered and signposted.
Washing vehicles with municipal water — Not allowed
Non-drinking water or waterless products only; commercial car washes need a recycling exemption.
Hosing down paved or hard surfaces — Not allowed
Topping up swimming pools — Not allowed
Even pools fitted with covers; temporary pools not allowed at all.
Household water use — Limited
A maximum of 100 litres per person per day is strongly encouraged.