Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ellen Alberts
Published on 2024-03-19 15:00:00
The Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has taken steps to address the water shortages faced by residents of Aus in the //Kharas region by connecting a new borehole. Since October 2022, residents have been experiencing water shortages for two to three days every two weeks due to the reservoir running dry as the underground water tables fell below 40% capacity.
NamWater’s chief executive, Abraham Nehemia, announced that a new borehole was drilled last year, capable of yielding approximately 40 cubic litres of water per day. A contractor was appointed to establish the necessary infrastructure and connect the borehole to the reservoir, providing a short-term solution for the next two to three years.
In addition to this short-term measure, NamWater is working on a long-term solution to draw water from the Koichab Pan, which currently supplies water to the Lüderitz community. Plans are also in place to add a desalination plant to extract water from the Atlantic Ocean.
Nehemia explained that despite the current rainy season, Aus’ rocky topography and silt-based topsoil structure do not allow rainwater to replenish the underground water table. Therefore, ongoing geological surveys will be conducted to locate additional water sources near Aus for drilling more boreholes.
!Nami≠Nûs constituency councillor Susan Ndjaleka commended the connection of the new borehole as a positive step towards ensuring sustainable water provision for the community in the short to medium term. She highlighted the critical water shortages in Aus, where five out of the 15 boreholes supplying water had run dry, and two borehole pumps were broken.
Residents were advised to collect water for household use on days when the reservoir was dry and were given water-saving tips to manage with reduced amounts of water. Farmers were instructed to use separate boreholes and solar-powered pumps for their livestock, as the existing boreholes were insufficient to meet the needs of both residents and animals around the settlement.
A meeting last year involving political leaders, business people, community members, and other stakeholders resulted in the decision to drill the new borehole to address the water scarcity. Aus village chief executive Queeny Koopman noted that it would take about a week for residents to feel the impact of the newly connected borehole, as it still needed to be commissioned for use.
Despite these challenges, the residents of Aus can look forward to improved water access and availability in the near future. With the implementation of short-term and long-term solutions by NamWater, the community is on track to receive sustainable water provision for years to come.
Read the original article on The Namibian
