NamWater has revealed a plan to pump water from Kombat to avert a water crisis in the central areas because of a paucity of inflows into the supply dams.
The vast underground water deposits at Kombat, previously seen as a curse by the copper mining sector, could be a godsend for the arid central areas of Namibia that could run dry by September.
Windhoek as the capital and economic and business hub of the country is also affected by insufficient inflows into supply dams.
NamWater spokesperson John Shigwedha said water would be pumped from Kombat to Okakarara and eventually to the Omatako Dam and then into the Von Bach Dam, from where it will be supplied to the central areas.
Shigwedha said part of the plan is to draw water from boreholes outside Grootfontein that will be pumped to the central areas as well.
The combined water levels in the three main dams providing the central areas with water are rapidly decreasing and the level of the Swakkopoort Dam stood at 14.8 percent this week. The water level is lower than this time last year.
The country is still experien-cing a severe overall drought and predictions are that water in the dams will last until September.
Windhoek, Okahandja, Gobabis, Karibib and customers along the pipeline in Brakwater draw water from the same three supply dams.
While the NamWater weekly dam bulletin shows Swakkoppoort’s water level is a mere 14.8 percent, it also shows that Von Bach Dam stands at 21.8 percent of capacity and Omatako Dam, which was previously empty, has a water level of 7.1 percent.
Shigwedha explained that the three dams had insignificant inflows during the past few weeks of countrywide rains. “It rained but the water didn’t reach the dams.”
Shigwedha said Windhoek has various boreholes, which provide the city with 30 percent of its water needs. Shigwedha cautioned residents to use water sparingly and follow water restrictive measures as advertised in the media.
When asked whether water would be rationed, he replied that they are “not at that point yet”. “We will announce it when we reach there,” Shigwedha said.
The Windhoek Municipality spokesperson Joshua Amukugo said the city increased the number of boreholes from 40 to over 50. “And we will increase them (boreholes) as we get funds.”
He said Windhoek supplements its water supply from the three dams and boreholes, with water from the reclamation plant.