Gazette.bw (The Botswana Gazette) THE PAPER THAT SERVES THE NATION. | Telephone : +267 3912 833 / 3912 774 / 3180 701| Fax : +267 3972 283 | | Email Address : http://www.gazette.bw/sendmail.htm | Website Address : http://www.gazette.bw/ | The Botswana Gazette Website is updated every   W E D N E S D A Y.   Gazette.bw >> Home To get the latest version of our website, press ' F5 ' to refresh this page. Water, water everywhere… by Batlhalefi Leagajang Water authorities in Gaborone admit water from the recent rains goes to waste - but they say there is nothing they can do about it WATER from the recent heavy rains that fell in and around Gaborone is doomed to go to waste because harvesting it would cost a prohibitive P50 million, say government sources. Meanwhile the Gaborone Dam stands 82% empty in spite of the heavy downpours; the water situation in the City remains critical and the Water Utilities Corporation may introduce more stringent restrictions. Despite the recent torrential downpours much of the water flowing through the city will not contribute towards filling the Gaborone dam. (PIC. MONIRUL I.B) Speaking in an interview with The Gazette, the Customer Services Manager of the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), Abednigo Khumalo, said the Gaborone dam is upstream and the rainwater that flows around the City when the rains fall, is down stream and cannot go into the dam. It flows into the Notwane River and from there into the Limpopo River. “Indeed this water is wasted, but due to financial and other constraints, there is nothing that we can do at the moment,” he said. Khumalo said while a full study has not yet been made, a cost benefit analysis shows that to collect the water and pump it to the Gaborone Dam would cost up to P50 million. But he said they are seriously considering doing this when money is available. They would have to consult other stakeholders first such as the Gaborone City Council (GCC) and the Ministry of Agriculture as the water runs on GCC grounds and into the Notwane and Limpopo, where it ends up being used for agricultural activities. An environmental impact assessment would also have to be made. If they were to trap the water, it would be beyond Mochudi, said Khumalo. WUC also sources water from the Molatedi Dam in South Africa, which is presently 14% full. The Corporation currently pumps 11 million cubic litres from Molatedi - half Botswana’s allocation. Fears are that WUC will stop receiving water from Molatedi when that dam’s level falls to 10% because there might be only dirt storage remaining in the dam. According to WUC officials, the North South Carriers pipeline is operating well and is transferring the required amount of water to Gaborone. WUC is happy with the consumption of water in Gaborone and the surrounding areas, although a study they conducted indicates that car washes use a lot of water. “The next level of water restrictions will be very stringent,” officials said. Contacted for comment, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Dr Akolang Tombale, confirmed that it would be difficult to channel rainwater into the Gaborone Dam because of the high cost involved. In December last year, the Member of Parliament for Mmadinare, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, asked the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Charles Tibone, if his Ministry had any plans to harvest Gaborone City’s rain water by connecting the run off to the Gaborone-Bokaa Dams’ pipeline