Maria David
NAMWATER is currently unable to meet the demand for water supply within the O-regions as required. This follows a need for urgent water supply in all the northern areas to alleviate the water challenge being experienced.
In a public notice issued by Namwater Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kadiva Hamutumwa, it was said that NamWater is unable to meet the total demand for the four regions due to population and industrial growth.
Hamutumwa explained that the water supplied to the Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions is sourced from the Oshakati Treatment Plant, where the upstream users abstract more than their daily consumption needs.
“Some of the individual customers have set up elevated storage tanks and pumps connected to the main pipelines that draw more water, resulting in the villages along the Ondangwa-Omutsegwonime pipelines not receiving sufficient water,” said Hamutumwa.
According to Hamutumwa, the demand upstream in the Omusati region is currently at 33,600 cubic meters daily with a monthly demand of 1 million cubic meters. However, the current supply stands at 28,176 cubic meters daily, resulting in a monthly deficit of 168,144 cubic meters.
Meanwhile, the Oshakati Water Treatment Plant supplies downstream in the Oshana region, as well as the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. The demand from the Oshakati Water Treatment Plant to the three regions is 60,000 cubic meters per day, resulting in a total monthly demand of 1.8 million cubic meters. The current supply stands at 51,600 cubic meters per day, resulting in a total supply of 1.6 million cubic meters per month.
Overall, this has resulted in a deficit (suppressed demand) of 13,824 cubic meters per day and 300,000 cubic meters per month.
Hamutumwa indicated that in the Oshikoto Region, reserves have been built up at Ondangwa, and water is being pumped to all supply lines. The Omuthiya reservoir has been filled to 30% capacity, and water has reached Omutsegondjamba (25 kilometres from Omuthiya).
In the Ohangwena Region, the water supply in the Omakango-Omafo and Omafo-Eenhana areas has returned to normal, with just some minor work needed to fill all the reservoirs and pipelines.
NamWater has also made provision for water tankers throughout the Oshikoto region; thus far, a total of five tankers have been deployed to the Onankali onwards to all the hot spot areas.
Furthermore, rationing in the Oshakati, Ondangwa, and Omafo areas from 22:00 to 05:00 daily has been implemented to build up the water supply capacity in the reservoirs. This enables NamWater to continuously supply towards the far south of the Oshikoto region.
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