NamWater primes the pumps

IN an effort to avert water crises in Windhoek and in other parts of central Namibia, NamWater has improved the reliability of the water supply to the capital as well as to other bulk water customers in the region.

Yesterday NamWater’s Manager for Corporate Affairs Johannes Shigwedha announced that in May the parastatal had completed a N$36 million project aimed at improving the reliability of supply to Windhoek and other central areas. The project, said Shigwedha, entailed the upgrading of the pumping facility from the Swakoppoort Dam to the Von Bach Dam to a capacity of 4,10 million m3/annum or the equivalent of 380 litre/second.In addition, an independent pumping facility to the Okangava Reservoir, feeding the Navachab Gold Mine and Karibib, had been installed.”Provision was also made for supplying water directly from the Von Bach Dam near Okahandja to Karibib and the Navachab Gold Mine in the event that insufficient water was available in the Swakoppoort Dam,” said Shigwedha.He added that this had not been possible previously.Meanwhile, NamWater reported in their latest bulletin that the Goreangab Dam on the outskirts of Windhoek was still the reservoir in the country with the highest percentage of water.At present the dam is officially recorded as 100,3 per cent full while last season it only stood at 10,3 per cent.The level of the Von Bach Dam is 45,7 per cent, better than it’s 26,9 of last season, while the Daan Viljoen Dam, in the Windhoek district, is at only 3,7 per cent of its capacity.The Hardap Dam outside Mariental stands at 44,9 per cent, slightly lower than it’s 51,0 of last season.The Bondels Dam, Omaruru Delta Dam and the Omatjenne Dam are empty.The project, said Shigwedha, entailed the upgrading of the pumping facility from the Swakoppoort Dam to the Von Bach Dam to a capacity of 4,10 million m3/annum or the equivalent of 380 litre/second.In addition, an independent pumping facility to the Okangava Reservoir, feeding the Navachab Gold Mine and Karibib, had been installed.”Provision was also made for supplying water directly from the Von Bach Dam near Okahandja to Karibib and the Navachab Gold Mine in the event that insufficient water was available in the Swakoppoort Dam,” said Shigwedha.He added that this had not been possible previously.Meanwhile, NamWater reported in their latest bulletin that the Goreangab Dam on the outskirts of Windhoek was still the reservoir in the country with the highest percentage of water.At present the dam is officially recorded as 100,3 per cent full while last season it only stood at 10,3 per cent.The level of the Von Bach Dam is 45,7 per cent, better than it’s 26,9 of last season, while the Daan Viljoen Dam, in the Windhoek district, is at only 3,7 per cent of its capacity.The Hardap Dam outside Mariental stands at 44,9 per cent, slightly lower than it’s 51,0 of last season.The Bondels Dam, Omaruru Delta Dam and the Omatjenne Dam are empty.