Africa-Press – Namibia. NAMWATER spokesperson Johannes Shigwedha says the water crisis in the Oshana, Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions will be resolved by the end of this week.
He yesterday said the water issue is caused by a water pump at Calueque Dam which broke at the end of February. He said this has resulted in NamWater having only one pump which supplies water.
It is crucial that it is fixed immediately, Shigwedha said. “We also have a problem with the canal. We are reconstructing the canal, and we are forced to make a bypass canal where water passes to reach the other side.
“This bypass canal is always washed away by water, and we are forced to close the pump at Calueque,” the spokesperson said.
He said this has resulted in less water reaching the Oshakati purification plant. Shigwedha said NamWater is currently busy repairing the broken pump, which should be completed by the end of this week.
The Oshakati purification plant started receiving too little water to cater for NamWater’s clients, he said. “The water supply from Calueque became low. We even tried to get water from the oshanas. This water is very dirty and we use a lot of chemicals to clean it.
“We ended up not being able to supply water at the rationing times we have provided, because the water was becoming too little. But as we speak, water has reached the Oshakati purification plant for treatment,” he said.
Shigwedha said NamWater’s engineers are busy working on the pump to ensure water supply returns to normal. “We are now refilling our reservoirs at Oshakati before we pump water to other regions. The most affected regions are Oshikoto and Ohangwena, because they are at the end of the supply system,” he said.
Ongwediva Town Council spokesperson Jackson Muma yesterday said the town is still implementing the water-rationing system that was scheduled by NamWater. He said the town has been experiencing a lack of water since NamWater’s rationing announcement.
“We are relying on NamWater as our water supplier. In cases where residents need water urgently, NamWater has provided emergency contact numbers for water tanks,” Muma said.
He said they are waiting for NamWater to resolve the issue. Moses Hamukoto, a resident of Omuthiya in the Oshikoto region, yesterday said they have been experiencing a lack of water for two weeks. He said he survives on the rainwater he stores in a water tank.
“If you have water running for a week at Omuthiya, you are lucky. The officials are always saying there is no water pressure. There are no wells around here that those who do not have taps or tanks can use.
“The town council has filled the wells. It’s a struggle here at Omuthiya,” Hamukoto said. He suggested that the town council build a dam at the town to store water for residential use.
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