Martin Endjala
Last month, low levels of the Hardap dam caused Mariental water to smell like mud.
On Thursday, Mariental Chief Executive Officer Paul Nghiwilepo told the Windhoek Observer that the town’s water contained geosmin due to the dam’s low levels.
“The water is fine now. Due to the low levels of the dam, the water becomes muddy, hence the presence of geosmin. We will continue to monitor the situation because it could happen again,” he said.
Namwater discovered the problem last month and has since begun additional laboratory tests to monitor the situation.
Tests confirmed a higher-than-normal concentration of geosmin in both the raw and purified water.
Last month, the municipality suspended the supply of garden water (semi-reticulated water) until further notice.
The reason given at the time was to preserve the supply of purified water for human consumption.
At the time, the dam level at Hardap Dam was 12.3%.
NamWater claims that the presence of geosmin produced the brownish colour and earthy smell, which made it aesthetically non-pleasing.
It was found that the water was, however, safe for human consumption.
Geosmin produces an earthy smell and taste in drinking water, however, NamWater assures that these compounds are not harmful when drinking water.
“Weekly bacteriological tests have been carried out, and the latest reports show that the quality of water is Class A, making it suitable for human consumption,” said Namwater.
NamWater clarified that the normal treatment process does not remove geosmin, and this is not a sign of a treatment process failure.
The company stated that it has begun adding powdered activated charcoal to alleviate the geosmin effect.
NamWater further explained that the geosmin effect might be experienced sporadically while the water supply system clears out.
