Several residents complained to The Namibian yesterday that tap water had a muddy taste and tasted even worse when boiled.

NamWater Communications Manager Johannes Shigweda said yesterday that the taste was caused by organisms that washed into the dam after the recent rains and mixed with water before settling in the Von Bach Dam - the main supplier of water to the central region.

He said technicians had already taken the necessary corrective action - adding powder activated carbon (PAC) to the water to remove the pungent smell - before it goes on to be purified.

Shigweda said the water currently in the system would have to be flushed out first before the effects of PAC would be noticed.

He gave the assurance that although the water tastes bad, it poses no threat to human health.

Good rains in the central area over the past two weeks have raised the volume of the Von Bach Dam to 33,7 per cent of full capacity, compared to 28 per cent at the same time last year.

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