Okinawa officials say recent rainfall eases concern over water shortages

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Okinawa officials say recent rainfall eases concern over water shortages
By Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, October 26, 2008

CAMP FOSTER — Recent rains have helped ease fears of a water shortage on Okinawa, prefectural officials say.

Yoshiharu Yoneda, coordinator of the Water Supply Management Office at the Okinawa Prefectural Enterprise Bureau, said Friday that levels at the island’s major reservoirs have risen to a "safe zone" after heavy autumn rains.

Water levels at the 10 reservoirs were on average at 76.3 percent capacity.

"At nearly 80 percent capacity, it should be safe to discontinue the ongoing water saving campaign," Yoneda said.

In the last two weeks, more than 14.4 inches of rain soaked northern Okinawa, where most of the reservoirs are located, said a weather forecaster at the Okinawa Meteorological Observatory.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58383