CRITICAL: Residents in Windhoek are still exceeding water consumption targets. Photo: FILE
CRITICAL: Residents in Windhoek are still exceeding water consumption targets. Photo: FILE

Windhoek residents still not saving water

Fix all leaks, City urges
The average level of the three-dam system that supplies the capital with water has dropped to a concerning 16%.
Ellanie Smit
Windhoek residents are still exceeding the set target for water consumption.

The City of Windhoek’s weekly water consumption report for 16 to 22 July shows that water consumption exceeded the target by 15%. In accordance with Category D of the City's water management plan, all residents must reduce their weekly water consumption by at least 15% to achieve water conservation goals.

To help conserve water, the City said all leaks must be fixed immediately.

“Fix all leaks immediately. A leaking tap can waste hundreds of litres of water. Be vigilant and save water,” it said.



Dam levels

Meanwhile, the total average of the dam levels in the country has dropped to 53.6%, compared to last season’s 66.3%.

In the central areas of Namibia, the average water levels in dams now stand at a low of 19.4%, while last season the levels stood at 36.4%.

The Swakoppoort Dam is at 30.4% of its capacity, the Von Bach Dam 11.5% and the Omatako Dam 0.1%. This three-dam system supplies Windhoek with water and the total average level of these dams stands at 16%, compared to last season’s 33.5%.

The Friedenau Dam is 53% full and the Goreangab Dam is at 99.7%. This is according to NamWater's weekly dam bulletin.

In the south, the average level of the dams stands at 60.8%, compared to last season when it was 74.4% full. The Neckartal Dam, which is Namibia’s largest, is at 81.5% of its capacity. Last season, it was 91.2% full.

The level of the Hardap Dam near Mariental has dropped to a mere 10.3%, and when it reaches about 6% of its capacity, all raw water to the Hardap Irrigation Scheme will stop.

Farmers have, in the meantime, signed an agreement to only irrigate 25% of their fields. This arrangement will continue until November, by which time it will be ‘survival or go bust’ for many farmers.

At the time of signing the agreement, the Hardap Dam was at 13% of its capacity.

The Mariental municipality has also suspended the supply of garden water (semi-reticulated water), as of 30 April until further notice.

The Naute Dam is 43.4% full and the Oanob Dam is at 39.9%, while the Dreihuk Dam is at 15.7% and the Bondels Dam at 32.3%.

In the east of the country, the total average of the dam levels is only 2.4%, and last season it was 7.4%.

The Otjivero Main Dam is 3.4% full, the Tilda Viljoen Dam 4.5% and the Daan Viljoen Dam 1.8%.

In other parts of the country, the Olushandja Dam in the Oshana Region is 43.4% full, compared to last season’s 30.4%. Both the Omaruru Delta Dam in the Erongo Region and the Omatjenne Dam in Otjozondjupa are empty, the same as last season.

Comments

Namibian Sun 2024-11-07

No comments have been left on this article

Please login to leave a comment

Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford Katima Mulilo: 22° | 36° Rundu: 20° | 31° Eenhana: 21° | 31° Oshakati: 21° | 31° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 19° | 26° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 23° Omaruru: 20° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 19° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 12:28, High tide: 06:39, Low Tide: 00:56, High tide: 18:52 Swakopmund: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:37, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:50 Walvis Bay: 15° | 24° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:36, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:49 Rehoboth: 20° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 36° Aranos: 20° | 34° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 22° | 36° Oranjemund: 15° | 24° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 27° Lubumbashi: 17° | 33° Mbabane: 13° | 24° Maseru: 12° | 25° Antananarivo: 14° | 30° Lilongwe: 22° | 29° Maputo: 19° | 26° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 16° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 20° | 31° Harare: 17° | 30° Currency: GBP to NAD 22.46 | EUR to NAD 18.71 | CNY to NAD 2.42 | USD to NAD 17.32 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.25 | EGP to NAD 0.34 | KES to NAD 0.13 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.63 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.04 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 133.1 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.4 | USD to EGP 49.22 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1680.41 | USD to ZAR 17.32 | USD to ZMW 27.07 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1858.03 Down -1.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 31045.26 Up +0.82% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9878.53 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 696.43/OZ UP +1.21% | Copper US$ 4.41/lb UP +4.30% | Zinc US$ 3 089.80/T UP 3.69% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.94/BBP DOWN -0.0075 | Platinum US$ 990.53/OZ UP +0.64% Sport results: Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford Weather: Katima Mulilo: 22° | 36° Rundu: 20° | 31° Eenhana: 21° | 31° Oshakati: 21° | 31° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 19° | 26° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 23° Omaruru: 20° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 19° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 12:28, High tide: 06:39, Low Tide: 00:56, High tide: 18:52 Swakopmund: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:37, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:50 Walvis Bay: 15° | 24° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:36, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:49 Rehoboth: 20° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 36° Aranos: 20° | 34° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 22° | 36° Oranjemund: 15° | 24° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 27° Lubumbashi: 17° | 33° Mbabane: 13° | 24° Maseru: 12° | 25° Antananarivo: 14° | 30° Lilongwe: 22° | 29° Maputo: 19° | 26° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 16° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 20° | 31° Harare: 17° | 30° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 22.46 | EUR to NAD 18.71 | CNY to NAD 2.42 | USD to NAD 17.32 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.25 | EGP to NAD 0.34 | KES to NAD 0.13 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.63 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.04 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 133.1 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.4 | USD to EGP 49.22 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1680.41 | USD to ZAR 17.32 | USD to ZMW 27.07 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1858.03 Down -1.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 31045.26 Up +0.82% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9878.53 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 696.43/OZ UP +1.21% | Copper US$ 4.41/lb UP +4.30% | Zinc US$ 3 089.80/T UP 3.69% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.94/BBP DOWN -0.0075 | Platinum US$ 990.53/OZ UP +0.64%