According to the Water Utilities Corporation Communications manager, Matida Mmipi the other dams which supply Gaborone and surrounding are also at worryingly low levels. She however asserted that the situation is not as bleak as it seems because Gaborone is also fed from Molatedi Dam in South Africa. Gaborone Dam is currently at 41 percent, Nnywane at 39, while Letsibogo is at 30 percent. The dams can survive 16, six and nine months respectively, without inflow. Mmipi warned that it should be understood that the months to be survived without inflow are determined by the current water usage and may drop drastically should people increase their water usage. Also, with higher temperatures expected with the start of the summer season, the predicted number of months might be shorter than predicted."We know water usage is low in winter.Water usage is going to increase as spring starts and a lot of water is lost through evaporation," she explained. She added that people should be prudent with their use of water. The only dams with a healthy water supply are Shashe (72 percent) and Ntimbale (78 percent) in the North East. Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorological Services has indicated that it is still working on seasonal rainfall forecast, and could not immediately tell when the first rains can be expected.
