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Windhoek still in water crisis

The City of Windhoek has been facing a water crisis and the situation is not getting any better and this shows in NamWater’s dam bulletin for this week where the Swakoppoort Dam’s present capacity is 34.8%, down from last weeks 35.2%, and the Von Back Dam’s capacity is 35.7%, the same as last week.

NamWater has stated in the past that it is imperative to note that the level of the dams supplying the central areas is very low and the predicted run dry dates for Von Bach and Swakopport Dams are 17 June 2016 and 21 July 2016 respectively.
The City of Windhoek has pleaded with residents to minimize their water usage.
The Economist followed up with The City on the water crisis in Windhoek.
The City reiterated to The Economist that the water situation in the capital is still the same and they still advise residents to reduce water consumption in any way possible, in order for the available water to sustain us further.
The City also emphasised that the water stress situation will not change until the dams reach full capacity or another external source is linked to the central area supply, thus the importance of urging the residents to use water sparingly.
The City also made it known to the Economist that the response from the residents to use water sparingly was not favourable as January and February 2015 consumptions were higher than last year’s same period. The City appealed to residents to save at least 10% of water at all times,be it at home, schools or at offices as this is a critical stage that could turn disastrous if not handled with caution.
NamWater supplies Windhoek with a monthly quota of water which should sustain the reservoirs until June 2015, whilst the rest of Windhoek’s water comes from boreholes that are normally reserved for use during times of droughts.

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