Lüderitz left high and dry

The Lüderitz municipality has deployed a water truck to distribute the precious commodity to residents in higher-lying areas of the harbour town as a temporary relief measure.This follows four days of sporadic or no water supply after a pipe burst on Friday, which completely cut off water flow to the town. The affected areas include Area 2, Area 7, Sand Hotel, and NHE.Heikki Nauyoma, Acting Strategic Executive for Infrastructure and Technical Services at the town council, confirmed that NamWater had completed essential maintenance work in collaboration with the council. The water utility is now supplying water to the town via a bypass inlet.“We must remember that emergencies like these are not planned. NamWater is now in the process of filling the reservoir to restore water flow. The process to fill the reservoir to 60% or 80% capacity to ensure that supply normalises can take anything between three to four days,” Nauyoma said. He explained that NamWater began filling the reservoir on Monday, but due to insufficient pressure, water is not reaching all areas—particularly high-lying townships—making it difficult to meet full demand.Controlled water supply scheduleMayor Phillipus Balhao noted that, due to higher outflow (water usage) than inflow capacity, the council has decided to implement a controlled water supply schedule. “This includes shutting off the water supply during the night, from 22:00 to 04:00, to help build up reservoir levels and ensure a more stable supply during peak hours.”The mayor added that the council had partnered with NamWater to construct a new six-million-litre reservoir in the northern areas of the town. “We are doing this to address long-term water security and pressure concerns. This project is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to improve water supply reliability. According to NamWater, construction is expected to take approximately 28 months, but the process has already commenced.”Balhao continued, “With Lüderitz continuing to grow rapidly, we are prioritising preventative maintenance and critical infrastructure upgrades. These initiatives are part of our procurement plans for the current financial year, aiming to ensure a resilient and sustainable water supply for all residents. We thank our community for their understanding and support as we work to enhance the town’s water infrastructure for the future.”

Lüderitz left high and dry

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-25

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Lüderitz left high and dry

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-25

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