WUC intensified water rationing

As water levels at Gaborone and Bokaa Dams continue to reach frightening levels, things are not looking very well for the residents in the Greater Gaborone area.

Unless it rains in the catchment areas for these dams in the coming weeks, the hardest hit areas will be Phakalane, Sebele, Mochudi and surrounding areas. Mochudi and surrounding areas get water from the North South Water Carrier (NSW) as well as Bokaa dam. But the situation is not very pleasing for the area. In less than a week, Bokaa dam will not have any water. A 26 kilometre-long NSW pipe is currently being repaired and work will only be concluded in the coming weeks. Lobatse will also be hard hit. Lobatse usually gets water from Nnywane Dam, which has long dried. The town now relies on NSWC and Gaborone Dam. The latter, which will only last for seven months before it runs dry.

The situation has now forced Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) to intensify water rationing from two in a week to three in some of the areas in an effort to achieve 30 percent reduction failure of which the Gaborone and surrounding areas will face serious repercussions. While other areas in Gaborone will get the 6-8 hours water rationing twice a week, that will not be the case for areas such as Sebele and Phakalane, which will now have 12 hour water rationing three times a week. The Infrastructure Director at WUC, Gaselemogwe Senai informed the press last week that they were now looking at reviving the Malotwane and Diphiring boreholes in Mochudi as a way to avoid the looming disaster.

With regards to the NSWC pipe, he disclosed that they took a decision in September to close the pump station in order to repair the pipe.