Ester Mbathera
NamWater has been dealing with multiple water supply disruptions across the country due to technical difficulties affecting its infrastructure in recent days.
A pipe break on the evening of 29 March on the Ondangwa-Omutsegwonime pipeline near Oniipa has affected water supply to Ondangwa, Oniipa, Omuthiya Town Councils, and nearby constituencies.
NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata confirmed that its maintenance team is on-site conducting repairs.
“Our maintenance team is on-site conducting repairs, and water supply will resume as soon as the repair work is completed,” the utility said.
Essential service institutions such as hospitals, schools, police stations, and clinics in the affected areas are urged to contact Nicodemus Ndemwiimba, Schemes Superintendent, at 081 145 5267 or Raphael Endjala, Operations Manager – Cuvelai, at 081 124 5597.
Meanwhile, in Mariental, a pipe break at the NamWater purification plant has resulted in low reservoir levels, which currently stand at 41%.
“Normal pumping is expected to resume in the early hours of 1st April 2025,” Ndamanomhata said, urging residents to use water sparingly during this period.
In the Erongo region, the town of Uis is facing water shortages due to ongoing challenges at the Nei-Neis water scheme.
Ndamanomhata said that continuous power dips from the electricity supplier are causing boreholes to stop working and require manual resetting.
There are also technical faults on the variable speed drive systems at the booster stations.
“Our technical teams are actively investigating the root causes and carrying out necessary repairs. As a result, water supply to the town of Uis is severely limited,” said Marco Bernhardt, Namwater’s acting operations manager for the central business unit.
He said NamWater has deployed two water trucks to deliver water directly to the residents of Uis.
NamWater expressed regret over the inconvenience and reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the issues as quickly as possible.
