Botswana Water Utilities Corporation’s attempt to stabilize water supply in Gaborone suffered another setback recently as South African authorities started rationing water that is being sourced from Molatedi dam in North West Province {South Africa} to Gaborone dam, it emerged this week.
Molatedi dam is currently at nine percent and the water is expected to last for nineteen months.
Water Utilities Corporation spokesperson Matida Mmipi confirmed to this publication about water rationing from Molatedi dam and the water level is currently at nine percent and expected to last for nineteen months. She explained that “the agreement with Molatedi is that they will give us 22 million liters a day when the dam is at 26% and above. Once the dam falls below 26% the allocation is revised hence the current situation.”
She stated that due to the drying up of Gaborone and Bokaa Dams, this reduced the capacity of Molatedi Dam supply and means that all water users should adopt water conservation as a way of life.
She indicated that the Greater Gaborone area gets its supply from multiple sources and the corporation has been continuing to work on the various initiatives to ensure continuous water supply.Mmipi stated that Ramotswa well fields rehabilitation was completed and commissioned in August 2014 and produces 5 million liters a day while Masama East Well field project was commissioned on the 1st of June 2015 and injects 20 million liters a day into the North South Carrier Scheme I.
“A Section of NSCII was completed and is at times connected to the NSCI to pump water from Dikgatlhong Dam to relieve the Letsibogo Dam,” she added.
Mmipi said more projects are in the offing, amongst them the Masama West Project which will inject an additional 30 million litres a day into the NSCI.
Mmipi said water rationing introduced in August 2013 to address the water shortage in the country will remain in force until the water sources supplying the greater Gaborone can produce enough to meet the water demand.
