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ICE Council for two terms. He had become an Associate Member of the Institution in 1883,

and a member, at a relatively young age, in 1893.

Stewart served as the second president of the Cape Society of Engineers (now SAICE) at the
height of his professional powers in 1904. He was also elected as a Fellow of the Geological

Society and served a term as the President of the Royal Society in South Africa.

He died at his home in Kenilworth in October 1942.

The Dams Today

The two main reservoirs on Table Mountain each hold about a million cubic metres of water
and are still in service, contributing about 1% of today’s total consumption in Cape Town and

its environs. (Fig. 3.29.)

The centenary of the Woodhead Reservoir was celebrated in May 1997 when more than 100
people gathered at the site. The visitors included several relatives of the engineers and stone

masons who worked for four-and-a-half years to construct the elegant stone-faced dam.

In 2008 the American Society of Civil Engineers were looking for a new African landmark

for their series of international awards for engineering heritage sites. Up to that stage only
one project south of the Sahara, the Victoria Falls Bridge had been awarded such status. After

considerable thought the South African Institution of Civil Engineering decided to nominate

the Woodhead Dam. After a very thorough adjudication process the nomination was accepted
and a bronze plaque was duly presented by the President of ASCE. It was a considerable

achievement.

The Cape Peninsula in Crisis

The much-vaunted new dams on the top of Table Mountain would be unable to meet the

demand from the City Bowl – the entire extent of the City at the time – for much after the
turn of the 20th century, but the satellite municipalities were even less well off. Robert

Menmuir, Town Engineer of Woodstock, could see a problem ahead. His little municipality
would soon run out of water. Around the mountain there were similar problems as Mowbray,