City to keep water restrictions

THE City of Windhoek will maintain restrictions on the use of water, despite an increase in dam levels during the rainy season.

Chief executive officer Robert Kahimise told the media on Friday that it appears as if residents perceive the city’s water shortage as being over due to the recent rainfall, but the fast pace of urbanisation has in fact compounded the city’s water woes.

He said although the recent rains averted a water crisis, the impact of the water shortage in the supply system has only been delayed.

“The reality is that Windhoek is still drawing more water from the system than can sustainably be supplied,” he added.

Windhoek has over the past six months been running water saving campaigns through which residents are encouraged to save up to 40%, whilst restrictions are placed on the irrigation of public and private gardens and sport fields. The use of water at car washes is also under restriction.

The three dams which supply water to Windhoek are at a low capacity.

The latest NamWater dam bulletin issued last Monday shows the Swakoppoort dam at 35,5% of capacity; Von Bach Dam at 57,3%, and the Omatako Dam at 58,9% capacity.

Kahimise stressed that the gap between the available supply and the demand for water would continue to widen relentlessly, thereby increasing the likelihood of another failure of the water system in the near future.

“The water levels will not sustain us until the next two rainy seasons,” he noted.

– Nampa