WINDHOEK – Eight dams in the central and southern Namibian areas have recorded slight increases in dam levels since the start of solid downpours in their catchment areas two weeks ago. Inflows into the Swakoppoort dam, the Von Bach dam and the Omatako dam pushed the average of dams for the Windhoek area up by 14.6 percent, while the sub-total for dams in the south increased by 16.1 percent after inflows into the Hardap dam, the Naute dam and the Oanob dam.
With these slight inflows Swakoppoort dam is now 55.7 percent full, compared to 67.7 percent last year at the same time, while the Von Bach dam is 51.9 percent full, compared to 79.9 percent this time around last year.
The level of the Hardap dam stands at 42.3 percent, while it was recorded at 47.2 percent at the same time last year. The Naute dam’s level rose to 56.2 percent of full capacity while it was recorded at 63.1 percent in the corresponding period last year. The Oanob dam is 53.5 percent full (63.1 percent last year) and the level of the Daan Viljoen dam remains at 81.7 percent, compared to 53.7 last year.
While the slight improvements were greeted with excitement, the central areas have also been rescued from a looming crisis caused by poor dam inflows.
Grave concern had been mounting over the ever-deteriorating water levels of Namibia’s major dams and this prompted the Windhoek Municipality two weeks ago to send out an SOS to residents to make every drop count.
Reminding Windhoek residents of water restrictions already imposed last year, the manager of corporate communications at the Windhoek Municipality, Joshua Amukugo, said the water supply situation would be reassessed at the end of the current rainy season which is now drawing to a close.
He warned that tighter restrictions might be on the cards if the situation remained unchanged.
The current water restrictions imposed by the Windhoek Municipality include a ban on the use of hosepipes to wash cars, the mandatory covering of private swimming pools and no watering of gardens between 10h00 and 16h00.
Government recognised an imminent water crisis in the central areas at the beginning of the year, launching a N$7.6 million pre-feasibility study to investigate all alternative water sources which could be developed to secure a long-term, affordable water solution for these areas as well as parts of the Omaheke and Otjizondupa regions, as well as the Cuvelai delta.
Launching the project in partnership with the Windhoek Municipality, NamWater and various local water experts, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, stressed that Windhoek’s runaway growth in population and economic activities had prompted the urgent study. The total water storage in the three central area dams plummeted to a mere 36.6 percent in February this year, compared to the 91 percent in February 2012 and the 63.3 percent in February 2013. The average level now stands at 37.2 percent after slight increases in the levels of some of the major dams.
Fears of Windhoek – the economic hub of the central areas – running dry mounted when recent modelling predicted shortfalls in water supply by 2020, based on the median scenario, and this would be much earlier if Namibia experiences more poor rainy seasons, independent experts warned.
By Deon Schlechter