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As of Thursday, June 22, 2017, water levels at the nine nationally owned reservoirs on Okinawa were at 96.2 percent of capacity, said an official at the Okinawa Draught Countermeasure Council.

As of Thursday, June 22, 2017, water levels at the nine nationally owned reservoirs on Okinawa were at 96.2 percent of capacity, said an official at the Okinawa Draught Countermeasure Council. (Courtesy of Ginowan City)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Okinawa appears to have averted water shortages and rationing local officials predicted months ago after reservoirs fell to their second lowest levels in a decade.

As of Thursday, the rainy season’s final day, water levels at the nine nationally owned reservoirs on Okinawa were at 96.2 percent of capacity, said an official at the Okinawa Draught Countermeasure Council, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, which is customary in Japan.

“It would be safe to say that there is no immediate risk of water shortages,” the official said. “Over 90 percent is a vast improvement from the situation in May.”

The average level at the reservoir over the past 10 years is 88.6 percent.

Things were still uncertain coming into the rainy season’s home stretch, the spokesman said. However, on June 15, the level rose from 64 percent to 80.1 percent in a single day.

Rainy season lasted for 40 days this year, said officials from the Okinawa Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Rainfall in Naha during this year’s rainy season was 27 inches, nearly double that of an average year. In Nago, this year’s rainy season rainfall was 32.2 inches, helping the prefecture overcome its deficit.

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