Omaruru River sewer line opens flood of criticism
Officials say all was done according to legal requirements
Residents and business owners in Omaruru allege that a sewer line being laid in the riverbed has gone ahead without public consultation or environmental clearance, and that large sections failed during the 22 March flood, causing erosion and pollution risks.
They want the project halted and relocated above the 100-year flood line.
The Omaruru Town Council has denied these claims, maintaining that the project is fully approved, environmentally cleared and essential to replace the town’s century-old septic-tank system.
Mayor Vincent Kahua said the N$14 million project was approved by council and funded by the urban and rural development ministry as part of a phased upgrade.
“The project has an environmental clearance certificate,” Kahua said. “It serves only the residents and businesses along that line to ease pressure on the septic system.”
Town CEO Valentinus Sindongo echoed this, and claimed that critics were politicising the issue.
“An environmental impact assessment was done. Stakeholder engagement was done,” he said. “Many of those now complaining never come to meetings and only object when work starts.”
Residents’ complaints
However, a business owner, who asked not to be named, claimed no public meeting was ever held and that he had opened a trespassing case against the town’s chief executive officer after contractors “bulldozed all the reeds” and entered private erven, allegedly without engagement.
He alleged that the municipality began clearing reeds and installing manholes and pipe supports in May last year without consulting affected owners or securing an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
“No EIA was ever done,” he said. “There were never consultative meetings. No certificate obtained – nothing.”
Residents said the March flood, which “peaked at four metres plus”, toppled manholes, mangled pipes and redirected flow into properties where reeds had been removed.
“About 80% of the pipes already connected washed away that night,” one business owner claimed.
Another resident warned: “You can’t have a sewer pipe in the drinking-water river,” noting that leaks risk contaminating groundwater.
Procedures followed lawfully
Mayor Kahua said a N$2.5 million pump station will link the line to the oxidation ponds once complete.
Delays in ministry payments, he added, left some sections vulnerable to flooding.
“Heavy rains came before the works were at the level they should be,” he said. “Extra reinforcement with concrete and stone is now underway before the next rainy season.”
Kahua also denied that the environment ministry had ordered a halt, calling reports of poor quality or contamination “political distractions” ahead of the elections.
“This project is important for our town and businesses,” he said. “We need to focus on improving services, not stopping progress.”
The municipality said it will not stop work.
“We cannot delay this,” said Kahua. “Omaruru must move beyond septic tanks. It’s time we modernise and make the town attractive for business.”
Disputed claims
Residents strongly dispute the council's version, claiming that an EIA and stakeholder engagement were never done.
One of the complainants claimed that the only public meeting on record was held in June 2024 regarding a background information document (BID) for proposed sewer ponds and a reclamation plant – not for the river sewer line itself.
“That BID meeting was not about this pipeline,” he said. “In fact, the consultants twice confirmed in writing that the sewer line was not included."
He said flood damage was “not due to erosion”, as the municipality claims, but because “the river simply pushed over” the manholes and pedestals.
“You can see it in the videos,” he said. “The embankment was eaten away by small flows even before the main flood.”
He also challenged the CEO’s assertion that affected owners were compensated.
“Nobody accepted compensation,” he said. “Only one person, the owner of the hotel, suggested swapping his lost land for an old disused road portion nearby. There is nothing in writing, no letters, no minutes – nothing to prove these issues were resolved.”
“We’re not politicians,” one of the complainants said. “That’s just a phrase they use to divert attention. This is about safety, legality and accountability.”
Tested and approved
The contractor, Ndakalimwe Investment, said the work meets all specifications and was only paused for safety during the floods.
“Our work is tested and approved,” a representative said. “The floods were extraordinary, but construction was never suspended.”
Tweya Consulting, the project engineers, declined to comment publicly, citing client confidentiality.
Both the mayor and CEO said the project was preceded by public meetings early in 2024.
Attempts to get comments from the environmental commissioner on the EIA process and environmental clearance went unanswered by the time of publishing this article.
They want the project halted and relocated above the 100-year flood line.
The Omaruru Town Council has denied these claims, maintaining that the project is fully approved, environmentally cleared and essential to replace the town’s century-old septic-tank system.
Mayor Vincent Kahua said the N$14 million project was approved by council and funded by the urban and rural development ministry as part of a phased upgrade.
“The project has an environmental clearance certificate,” Kahua said. “It serves only the residents and businesses along that line to ease pressure on the septic system.”
Town CEO Valentinus Sindongo echoed this, and claimed that critics were politicising the issue.
“An environmental impact assessment was done. Stakeholder engagement was done,” he said. “Many of those now complaining never come to meetings and only object when work starts.”
Residents’ complaints
However, a business owner, who asked not to be named, claimed no public meeting was ever held and that he had opened a trespassing case against the town’s chief executive officer after contractors “bulldozed all the reeds” and entered private erven, allegedly without engagement.
He alleged that the municipality began clearing reeds and installing manholes and pipe supports in May last year without consulting affected owners or securing an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
“No EIA was ever done,” he said. “There were never consultative meetings. No certificate obtained – nothing.”
Residents said the March flood, which “peaked at four metres plus”, toppled manholes, mangled pipes and redirected flow into properties where reeds had been removed.
“About 80% of the pipes already connected washed away that night,” one business owner claimed.
Another resident warned: “You can’t have a sewer pipe in the drinking-water river,” noting that leaks risk contaminating groundwater.
Procedures followed lawfully
Mayor Kahua said a N$2.5 million pump station will link the line to the oxidation ponds once complete.
Delays in ministry payments, he added, left some sections vulnerable to flooding.
“Heavy rains came before the works were at the level they should be,” he said. “Extra reinforcement with concrete and stone is now underway before the next rainy season.”
Kahua also denied that the environment ministry had ordered a halt, calling reports of poor quality or contamination “political distractions” ahead of the elections.
“This project is important for our town and businesses,” he said. “We need to focus on improving services, not stopping progress.”
The municipality said it will not stop work.
“We cannot delay this,” said Kahua. “Omaruru must move beyond septic tanks. It’s time we modernise and make the town attractive for business.”
Disputed claims
Residents strongly dispute the council's version, claiming that an EIA and stakeholder engagement were never done.
One of the complainants claimed that the only public meeting on record was held in June 2024 regarding a background information document (BID) for proposed sewer ponds and a reclamation plant – not for the river sewer line itself.
“That BID meeting was not about this pipeline,” he said. “In fact, the consultants twice confirmed in writing that the sewer line was not included."
He said flood damage was “not due to erosion”, as the municipality claims, but because “the river simply pushed over” the manholes and pedestals.
“You can see it in the videos,” he said. “The embankment was eaten away by small flows even before the main flood.”
He also challenged the CEO’s assertion that affected owners were compensated.
“Nobody accepted compensation,” he said. “Only one person, the owner of the hotel, suggested swapping his lost land for an old disused road portion nearby. There is nothing in writing, no letters, no minutes – nothing to prove these issues were resolved.”
“We’re not politicians,” one of the complainants said. “That’s just a phrase they use to divert attention. This is about safety, legality and accountability.”
Tested and approved
The contractor, Ndakalimwe Investment, said the work meets all specifications and was only paused for safety during the floods.
“Our work is tested and approved,” a representative said. “The floods were extraordinary, but construction was never suspended.”
Tweya Consulting, the project engineers, declined to comment publicly, citing client confidentiality.
Both the mayor and CEO said the project was preceded by public meetings early in 2024.
Attempts to get comments from the environmental commissioner on the EIA process and environmental clearance went unanswered by the time of publishing this article.
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