NamWater blamed for Walvis ‘drought’

THE Councillor for the Walvis Bay Urban constituency says Namibia’s bulk water utility NamWater should hand over the management of water at the coast to the municipalities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

During debate on the State-Owned Enterprises Bill, Hafeni Ndemula told the National Council last week that NamWater was failing to deliver the goods in providing this basic need in coastal towns. He claimed that before NamWater took over the administration of the Kuiseb delta water supply in 1998, the Walvis Bay municipality had run it without any disruptions.He blamed the current water problems at Walvis Bay and other coastal towns on NamWater.”I would like to put the blame squarely on NamWater’s doorstep,” said Ndemula.Ndemula said he could not understand why the Rooibank reservoir at Walvis Bay should be managed by a person based in Mariental.”Imagine with the cries in Mariental, the effectiveness in monitoring and control of the reservoir in Walvis Bay.This is a joke,” he said.A power outage at Rooibank on Wednesday resulted in the complete failure of NamWater’s water supply to the harbour town.Affected pumps had to be reset one by one, but because of the flooding Kuiseb River, technicians couldn’t reach the pumps.Since NamWater could only provide a fraction of the town’s normal consumption of more than 500 cubic metres per hour, the reservoirs were depleted rapidly and strict water rationing had to be instituted.He claimed that before NamWater took over the administration of the Kuiseb delta water supply in 1998, the Walvis Bay municipality had run it without any disruptions.He blamed the current water problems at Walvis Bay and other coastal towns on NamWater.”I would like to put the blame squarely on NamWater’s doorstep,” said Ndemula.Ndemula said he could not understand why the Rooibank reservoir at Walvis Bay should be managed by a person based in Mariental.”Imagine with the cries in Mariental, the effectiveness in monitoring and control of the reservoir in Walvis Bay.This is a joke,” he said.A power outage at Rooibank on Wednesday resulted in the complete failure of NamWater’s water supply to the harbour town.Affected pumps had to be reset one by one, but because of the flooding Kuiseb River, technicians couldn’t reach the pumps.Since NamWater could only provide a fraction of the town’s normal consumption of more than 500 cubic metres per hour, the reservoirs were depleted rapidly and strict water rationing had to be instituted.