Martin Endjala
On Tuesday, the City of Windhoek (CoW) announced that its efforts to have residents reduce water consumption are not yielding the desired results.
According to the city spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya, from 19 to 26 August, residents managed to cut water usage by only 6%, far below the critical 15% reduction goal.
“While this progress is commendable, it remains below our overall target of a 15% reduction,” said Amutenya.
The council in July declared Category D severe water scarcity (drought).
According to Amutenya, new water-saving measures will go into effect on 1 September.
“Please note that this week we will share the formula and calculations for how block tariffs will be applied during Category D water scarcity,” she said.
She said this will ensure that consumers understand the tariff structure, as per the gazetted 2023/24 financial year tariffs, which are still in use pending any adjustments.
Earlier this month, the municipality’s chief executive officer, Moses Matyayi, said that it is not currently in a water shortage crisis, but it is grappling with an imminent water security issue due to low rainfall.
Matyayi warned that should it not rain in the next few months, the capital will find itself in a water crisis.
He said the city needs to find ways to cope with the current water issue.
He explained that the restriction of water set to kick in next month should not be seen as a punishment but as a way of preserving the little water left in its various water channels.
