The bearing capacity of a rectangular footing of plane dimension 1.5 m × 3 m resting on the surface on a sand deposit was estimated as 600 kN/m2 when the water table is far below the base of the footing. The bearing capacities in kN/m2 when the water level rises to depths of 3 m, 1.5 m and 0.5 m below the base of the footing are