Martin Endjala
The City of Windhoek (CoW), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, has recently announced the successful completion of a 200-meter-deep borehole drilled at Groot Aub to address the ongoing water shortage in the area.
Harold Akwenye, the Communication Manager for CoW, stated that seven additional boreholes will soon be drilled at identified locations in the city. He also welcomed the community’s enthusiasm for the new borehole and the prospect of additional boreholes in the future.
Akwenye explained that the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) has allocated a budget of N$6.8476 million for Groot Aub, with half of the budget designated to address the water shortage issue.
The same ministry has also provided the drilling rig for the borehole rehabilitation.
He further revealed that the Khomas Regional Governor’s office has been tasked with raising social awareness among the residents of Groot Aub, stressing the importance of responsibly sharing borehole water to ensure its sustainable use.
When asked about the delay in initiating the borehole drilling project, Akwenye informed this publication that project planning only commenced in March of the previous year.
However, the availability of funds and the appointment of a drilling contractor were only finalized in early December 2023, with the project commencing in the same month.
The launch of the project follows persistent complaints of water shortages in Groot Aub due to the increasing population demands.
“The CoW has been supplying water to Groot Aub since 2018 when five new boreholes were drilled and installed to supplement the existing ones at that time. However, the demand has consistently exceeded the current supply capacity of 50 cubic metres per hour,” Akwenye said.
He also pointed out that the population of Groot Aub has grown significantly beyond the initial 10,000 inhabitants, and the city was entrusted with the responsibility of providing water to the residents.
In addition, the construction of numerous plots in and around Groot Aub after its handover to the city in 2017 has further strained the available water resources.
When the city took over the administration of Groot Aub in 2017, the Department of Infrastructure was informed that the water supply should be restored to cater to approximately 10,000 residents in the area, equivalent to 50 cubic metres per hour based on the standard of 100 litres per person per day, with boreholes operating for 20 hours daily.
