By Staff Reporter WINDHOEK The country’s bulk water supplier, Namwater, is currently rationing water in the northern regions, due to a shortage of supply in that part of the country. In a recent press release, Namwater’s Corporate Communications Manager, Johannes Shigwedha, stated that rationing has been necessitated by problems experienced in the supply of water from the Oshakati Purification Plant. “This is as a result of our Raw Water Dam, which has silted up and is unable to take in more water for purifications,” said Shigwedha. He added that the company’s biggest reservoir is only 28 percent full, ultimately resulting in less water being available in the Raw Water Dam for purifications. In light of this situation, there is not enough water for purification and distribution to various towns in the North. These include the towns of Oshakati, Ondangwa, Ongwediva, Omuthiya, Omafo, Ohangwena, Eenhana, Ongha, Onyena, Okatope and other adjacent areas. Thus, as from Monday this week, the public in the North have been alerted about the ratio-ning of water during certain times of the day. Water is currently being rationed between nine o’clock in the evenings until six o’clock in the mornings for a full week, until further notice. Although specific details could not be given as to when the problem would be resolved, Namwater is currently running only one raw water pump, instead of the normal two. For now, the main aim is to ensure that residents in the affected towns receive water, although in limited supply. Meanwhile, the overall picture of dam levels countrywide paints a bleak picture when looking at the latest weekly dam levels. For instance, that of Daan Viljoen Dam this week stands at 2.2 percent full, while this percentage was much higher during the last season at 97.2 percent. In the Gobabis area, the Otjivero Main Dam is at present 61,1 percent full, but this figure was a bit higher during the previous season recording a water level of 76,1 percent. The same situation applies to the Omatako Dam in the Windhoek area, which measures at 58,1 percent as compared to 96,6 percent last season. Moving down south, all five dams in that part of the country presently measured a sub-total average of 50,6 percent, as compared to an average of 78,8 percent during the last season.