Rundu eyes boreholes to solve water woes
Some parts of Rundu have been without water for days, while other suburbs experience water rationing.
Kenya Kambowe
RUNDU
Rundu acting CEO Sam Nekaro says the council will look into drilling boreholes to address the riverside town’s water woes.
He said NamWater’s infrastructure - established before the country’s independence in 1990 - can no longer cater for Rundu’s growing population.
He was responding to a Namibian Sun enquiry regarding the recent water shortage the town has been facing, with some parts of Rundu left completely without water for days, while other suburbs experience water rationing.
Sources claim the last time water ran through their taps was back in 2019, which has prompted them to procure water directly from NamWater, who fills up their water tanks on a weekly basis for a fee.
The situation is so dire that residents – especially those in informal settlements - have turned to the river for water.
Nekaro said because NamWater’s infrastructure has not been upgraded, there is no way all Rundu’s residents can be catered to.
He added that while the water utility is planning a study on how to improve its infrastructure - something he said will take some time - drilling boreholes appears to be the best solution.
Temporary measure
“As a temporary measure, what we can do is invest in boreholes. There is nothing NamWater can do now,” he said.
The acting CEO said pre-independence, the town’s population was about 30 000. “Now, we have 90 000, close to 100 000 people on the same system. The demand is more and the way the water is supplied is less. Basic mathematics is that if what you are supplying is less than what is demanded, not everyone is going to get water.
“So, the solution is that NamWater is trying to put up a bigger treatment plant. How long that will take, I don’t know.”
Poor revenue collection
Nekaro also said the Rundu town council is faced with a situation where only 4 500 of the about 15 000 municipality account holders pay for services monthly, depriving the local authority of income to invest back into the community by providing services.
On the prepaid water system, the council spends about N$5 million a month to buy 380 000 units of water from NamWater, he said.
On top of that, it has to service its NamWater debt, which Nekaro said stands at over N$100 million.
[email protected]
RUNDU
Rundu acting CEO Sam Nekaro says the council will look into drilling boreholes to address the riverside town’s water woes.
He said NamWater’s infrastructure - established before the country’s independence in 1990 - can no longer cater for Rundu’s growing population.
He was responding to a Namibian Sun enquiry regarding the recent water shortage the town has been facing, with some parts of Rundu left completely without water for days, while other suburbs experience water rationing.
Sources claim the last time water ran through their taps was back in 2019, which has prompted them to procure water directly from NamWater, who fills up their water tanks on a weekly basis for a fee.
The situation is so dire that residents – especially those in informal settlements - have turned to the river for water.
Nekaro said because NamWater’s infrastructure has not been upgraded, there is no way all Rundu’s residents can be catered to.
He added that while the water utility is planning a study on how to improve its infrastructure - something he said will take some time - drilling boreholes appears to be the best solution.
Temporary measure
“As a temporary measure, what we can do is invest in boreholes. There is nothing NamWater can do now,” he said.
The acting CEO said pre-independence, the town’s population was about 30 000. “Now, we have 90 000, close to 100 000 people on the same system. The demand is more and the way the water is supplied is less. Basic mathematics is that if what you are supplying is less than what is demanded, not everyone is going to get water.
“So, the solution is that NamWater is trying to put up a bigger treatment plant. How long that will take, I don’t know.”
Poor revenue collection
Nekaro also said the Rundu town council is faced with a situation where only 4 500 of the about 15 000 municipality account holders pay for services monthly, depriving the local authority of income to invest back into the community by providing services.
On the prepaid water system, the council spends about N$5 million a month to buy 380 000 units of water from NamWater, he said.
On top of that, it has to service its NamWater debt, which Nekaro said stands at over N$100 million.
[email protected]
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