Residents of Molepolole village, the most populous village in Botswana according to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, have been experiencing a severe water shortage since beginning February 2012.
 Historically water shortage is not a new problem to Molepolole; the village has been experiencing occasional dry spells for as far back as ones memory can remember albeit spanning for relatively short periods of time, perhaps a week at worst.
According to some residents the situation has gotten so dire that the Water Utilities Corporation has resorted to bowsing.
Water Utilities Corporation’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations manager Matida Mmipi said the water shortage dates back many years to when their predecessor, the Department of Water Affairs was still the water authority in the area. She said the government commissioned a study ÔÇô The Design of Study and Construction Supervision for Rehabilitation of Water Supply Distribution Network in Molepolole and Thamaga Major Villages in 2010. “The study revealed excess demand and projected an increase in the shortfall of water supply in the area.
The study also revealed that the network in the villages is dilapidated and hence need rehabilitation, explained Mmipi.
The Water Utilities Corporation took over supply of water services to Molepolole and other rural areas in 2011 with the aim of improving service delivery but according to one disgruntled resident their service delivery is no better than that of their predecessors, Department of Water Affairs. “If anything it is even worse because not only are we experiencing water shortages, we are paying even more than we used to,” he said.
