Niël Terblanché
Windhoek’s bulk water supply was severely disrupted on Wednesday following a pipe burst on the main transfer line between Von Bach Booster 2 and the Windhoek Terminal Reservoir.
In a public notice issued by the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), the state’s water utility confirmed that repair teams had already been dispatched to the site to initiate emergency repair operations.
By sunset yesterday, the team working on replacing the damaged pipe segments was well on their way to restoring the capital city’s water supply.
The affected supply line is critical to the delivery of water to the City of Windhoek and other consumers along the route.
“This is a major supply interruption,” the earlier notice stated.
NamWater added that both the City of Windhoek and other directly impacted clients had been informed.
The utility indicated that early assessments suggest repairs may take up to 24 hours to complete, but warned that this timeline could shift depending on developments at the site.
NamWater pledged to keep the public updated as the situation evolves.
According to the statement issued on Wednesday evening, the work was set ot be completed by 22:00
“We will restore supply as swiftly and safely as possible,” the statement said.
The national water utility apologised for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and expressed appreciation for the patience of affected customers.
The severe situation for residents of Namibia’s capital city and surrounding areas is the second major water supply interruption in the country after cable thieves destroyed electricity pylons that support pumps at the Omdal Dam, which supplies all the major coastal towns with water.
Compounding the situation at the coast was a sulphur bloom that forced the Erongo Desalination Plant near Wlotzka Baken to cease operations.
According to Lot Ndamanomhata, NamWater’s spokesperson, electricity supply to the Omdel Dam was restored on Monday evening.
“Following the restoration of power, water flow to both Henties Bay and Swakopmund resumed on the same evening,” he said.
The Orano Desalination Plant, which had also experienced downtime due to high sulphur levels in the Atlantic Ocean, also resumed operations on Monday evening.
Ndamanomhata, however, cautioned residents that the plant is currently operating at a reduced capacity due to continued sulphur spikes and fluctuations in water quality.
“In the past two days, the plant has gone offline intermittently due to unsuitably high sulphur levels. Despite these challenges, normal water supply to Henties Bay and Swakopmund has resumed and remains stable at this time,” he assured.
