Staff Writer
The country’s combined dam water levels declined to 76.8% of capacity in the week ended 9 November 2026, down from 77.3% a week earlier, as limited rainfall and water transfers contributed to lower storage levels.
According to NamWater’s weekly dam bulletin issued on Monday, total water storage stood at 1 195.626 million cubic metres (Mm³), compared with 1 203.741 Mm³ recorded on 2 November, representing a weekly decline of 8.115 Mm³.
The national storage level is also below the 80.8% recorded during the corresponding period last year, when reservoirs held 1 257.768 Mm³.
The Central Area of Namibia (CAN), which supplies Windhoek and surrounding areas, recorded a decline of 1.157 Mm³, leaving the system at 41.6% of capacity, or 68.627 Mm³. This compares with 66.1% during the same period last year.
Swakoppoort Dam declined from 64.3% to 63.3%, holding 40.213 Mm³, following water transfers to Von Bach Dam.
Von Bach Dam’s water level decreased from 47% to 45.9%, with storage standing at 21.835 Mm³.
Omatako Dam remains empty, compared with 20.6% capacity during the corresponding period last year.
Goreangab Dam stood at 100.8% of capacity, down from 102.1% the previous week, while Friedenau Dam declined marginally from 43.8% to 43.6%.
The southern dam system continued to account for the bulk of the country’s water reserves, with combined storage of 85.4% of capacity, equivalent to 1 099.029 Mm³.
However, the southern reservoirs lost 6.688 Mm³ during the week. Neckartal Dam, Namibia’s largest reservoir, stood at 98.9% of capacity, with estimated storage of 848.320 Mm³.
Naute Dam recorded 96.5%, compared with 87.8% during the same period last year, while Hardap Dam declined by 2.596 Mm³ to 51.5%, holding 151.744 Mm³. Oanob Dam stood at 50.3%, equivalent to 17.346 Mm³.
Dreihuk Dam remained at critically low levels of 6.4%, while Bondels Dam was empty. In the Gobabis area, combined dam storage stood at 13.8%, or 2.654 Mm³.
Tilda Viljoen Dam was the only reservoir to record an increase during the reporting week, rising from 68.4% to 70.7%, with storage of 0.865 Mm³.
The increase followed water transfers from Otjivero Main Dam and 4.0 millimetres of local rainfall. Otjivero Main Dam received 2.0 mm of rainfall during the week and stood at 15.6% of capacity.
In the north, Olushandja Dam stood at 55.5%, with storage of 25.316 Mm³. Omaruru Delta Dam and Omatjenne Dam remained empty.
NamWater supplies 100 million cubic meters (m3) of water annually to Namibia with the biggest customers being the mines mines 13 138 186, City of Windhoek, 10 407 942, Walvis Bay 6 512 500, Swakopmund, 4 673 272 and Ongwediva, 1 246 519.
