Little improvement in dam levels

WITH only one month of Namibia’s current rainy season still ahead, most of the country’s dams are still emptier than they had been at this point a year ago.

The widespread rainfall recorded over the northern and central areas of Namibia over the past week has not resulted in major inflows into the country’s main surface reservoirs, the Namibia Water Corporation’s latest weekly dam bulletin, which was released yesterday, indicates.

The Omatako Dam, which is one of the reservoirs which supplies Windhoek, received an inflow of 1,8 million cubic metres over the past week, raising its level from 0,3% of its storage capacity at the start of last week to 4,5% yesterday, according to the weekly dam bulletin. The Von Bach Dam, which is also one of the main water sources of Windhoek, had an inflow of about 163 000 cubic metres since last Monday, when it was 51,6% full, to yesterday, when its level stood at 51,9%.

Dam levels reported by NamWater yesterday, compared to the same dams’ levels a year ago, are:

Hardap 46,9% 71,2%

Naute 70,6% 99,6%

Swakoppoort 37,4% 35,3%

Von Bach 51,9% 57,3%

Omatako 4,5% 58,9%

Oanob 66,8% 89,9%

Olushandja 26% 47,9%

Otjivero Main 10,3% 27,5%

Otjivero Silt empty 1,9%

Tilda Viljoen 35% 29%

Daan Viljoen 24,5% 32,6%

Dreihuk 8,4% 27,3%

Bondels empty 55%

Omaruru Delta empty 3,8%