Niël Terblanché
Swakopmund and Henties Bay residents are facing a critical water supply disruption following a double setback involving criminal vandalism and adverse environmental conditions.
According to Lot Ndamanomhata, spokesperson for the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), a severe act of vandalism affected the power infrastructure needed to operate the Omdel water supply scheme.
“The theft and destruction of seven power poles has critically affected power supply to NamWater’s infrastructure that is critical to the water supply system,” he said.
He stated that the damage, which was discovered over the weekend, occurred on Erongo RED’s network, has rendered the Omdel scheme offline.
He added that no water is currently flowing from the water source.
Erongo RED has deployed a technical team to conduct urgent repair work, and restoration is expected to be completed later tonight.
Compounding the situation is the unexpected shutdown of the Orano Desalination Plant.
The facility is currently offline due to high sulphur levels, which have halted water production and delivery from this secondary source.
As a result, there is currently no inflow of water reaching Swakopmund.
In response, NamWater has communicated with the Swakopmund Municipality to reduce the town’s water distribution.
Further reductions may follow to conserve the limited reserves that remain.
“We urge all residents and businesses in Swakopmund to use water sparingly and only when absolutely necessary,” he said.
A similar appeal has been made to the Henties Bay Town Council, with NamWater warning that available water supplies in the town are expected to last only until the afternoon of 22 April.
Ndamanomhata also called on the public to help protect critical infrastructure from vandalism and theft.
“We call on the public to help safeguard our infrastructure and report any suspicious activity. Let us all play our part in protecting these vital resources to ensure an uninterrupted water supply,” he said.
Authorities from NamWater, Erongo RED, and both municipalities are closely monitoring the situation and have promised to issue updates as events unfold.
