2008-02-06Staff Report 2 By Mungu Mutimani WINDHOEK Figures availed by NamWater indicate that dam levels countrywide are very low this year compared to the corresponding period last year. Swakoppoort Dam that supplies water to the Navachab Gold Mine and Karibib town stood at 52.4 percent two days ago, while on Monday last week it stood at 53.2 percent. The dam has a capacity of 63.489 million cubic metres, By this time last year the dam was 82.7 percent full. The fall in the water level this year is attributed to drought caused by poor rainfall. The Von Bach Dam, one of Windhoek's main water suppliers with a capacity of 48.560 million cubic metres, was 51.4 percent full on Monday. On January 28, the same dam was 52.0 percent full compared to the same time last year when the level stood at 61.2 percent. And the Omatako Dam was only 17.0 percent full on Monday, while on January 28 it was 15.0 percent full. Last year, the dam was 71.5 percent full by this time. According to NamWater, Goreangab, one of Windhoek's supply dams was 72.5 percent full on Monday and on January 28 it stood at 73.2 percent. The figure for the corresponding period last year was not made available by the water utility. The Otjivero Main Dam, located 100 km west of Gobabis with a capacity of 9.808 million cubic metres, measured 36.6 percent on Monday and on January 28, the water level was at 37.5 percent. During the same period last year, NamWater says the dam was 62.5 percent full. The Otjivero Silt Dam remained at 0.5 percent over the past week while last year it went up to 7.6 percent for the same period. The NamWater readings at Tilda Viljoen, the dam that supplies water for domestic purposes to Gobabis with a capacity of 1.224 million cubic metres, early this week held 34.4 percent. On January 28, the figure stood at 34.9 percent while last year it was 47.7 percent. Hardap Dam, used mainly for irrigation and domestic supply to Mariental with a capacity of 294.593 million cubic metres, read 26.6 percent on Monday and late last month it was 27.1 percent full while last year it went up to 54.0 percent. NamWater, however, indicated that the situation could change any time since the rainy season has not ended yet. 2008-02-06Staff Report 2
