Gaborone dam is left with less than seven months' supply of water before it runs dry. The warning was sounded by the deputy chief executive of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), Godfrey Mudanga, at a press conference at the Gaborone Sun yesterday.
The dam is currently at 27 percent capacity, its lowest level since its wall was raised in 1984.
Mudanga stressed that though only the southern part of Botswana is affected by the low levels of the dam, the northern part faces a similar situation if rainfall does not come soon. He said signs are that Botswana may be facing the worst drought in over 20 years.
The situation is made worse by Botswana's semi-arid climate, which has a very high evaporation rate of 2000mm per annum.
This evaporation rate, expected to increase during the coming hot months, will reduce the expected seven months' supply. Batswana, on the other hand, have ignored earlier calls by the corporation to change their water use patterns.
Forecasts by the meteorological services have predicted normal rainfall with a tendency to be below normal during the first part of the 2004/2005 seasons.
Mudanga said that it would take three years of above normal rainfall to restore the Gaborone dam levels. He added that the situation is getting critical by the day and the corporation has come up with stringent measures such as water restrictions and rations.
These measures will affect Gaborone and surrounding areas like Mochudi, Bokaa, Oodi, Pilane, Morwa, Modipane, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Gabane, Metsemotlhabe, Mmopane, Ramotswa, Otse and Lobatse. In the event that the Gaborone Dam runs dry, the corporation has come up with strategies, still to be discussed with other relevant authorities to deal with the situation. Water restrictions aimed at reducing demand to 25 percent will be imposed.
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The restrictions include prohibiting watering of residential gardens using sprinklers and irrigation, prohibiting the washing of pavements, prohibiting the watering of playing fields, council parks and gardens, turning off automatic flushing urinals when not in use, restricting and monitoring the use of car washes, restricting the use of water in hotel gardens and restricting the filling of residential swimming pools.
If the situation does not improve at the end of the rainy season of April and May, the WUC intends to consider the use of water rationing or introduce a water conservation tariff.
