The tender for a feasibility study that will determine whether government through NamWater will build a desalination plant at the coast, is expected to be awarded soon.
“The German Government through the German Development Bank (KFW) agreed to fund the feasibility study and a tender to this effect will be awarded this month or next month,” Johannes Shigwedha, Head of Corporate Communication at NamWater said in an interview.
The country’s only desalination plant owned by Orano Resources (formerly AREVA) was built in 2010 and the company has offered to sell it to government, a deal which has stalled over pricing disagreements.
A few years ago, government set up a Government negotiating team to advise whether Namibia should buy the Orano desalination plant, only for it to opt out at the conclusion of the lengthy discussions.
The Windhoek Observer reported in June that the Government of Botswana, which is desperate to find additional water sources, is said to be in talks with Orano to buy the desalination plant.
“I am unable to give you an opinion on this question since this is a matter handled at the highest levels of the two countries concerned,” said Shigwedha.
In a wide-ranging interview on the water situation in the country, Shigwedha said NamWater has put measures in place to ensure that the central region of the country, which includes Windhoek, does not run dry.
The measures include drawing water from Berg Aukas mine shaft and Kombat boreholes outside Grootfontein.
Last year, extra boreholes were drilled in Windhoek to compliment the surface water available. The company has also put measures in place for the conservation of water sources in the Swakoppoort, Omatako and Von Bach dams, the three dams supplying the central area. The central part of Namibia also includes towns such as Otjiwarongo, Karibib and Okahandja.
Statistics provided by NamWater this week showed that currently, the water level Von Bach is at 52 percent, Swakoppoort at 32 percent and Omatako at 0.7 percent. NamWater normally pumps most of Omatako dam water to Von Bach as its evaporation rate is quite high. A maximum of 90 percent of this dam water can be lost to that process if it is kept there.
“The combined percentage of water in the three dams (at 29 percent) plus the above measures will ensure that the central part of Namibia will have water until March 2021 if it does not rain at all,” he said.
The NamWater spokesperson said the company was also considering drawing water from the Okavango River to argument the central region.
“A study to draw water from Okavango River and pipe it to the central part of Namibia was completed. The only outstanding part is the environmental assessment process that remains to be finalised. Once that is completed, government will then make a decision,” Shigwedha said.
Regarding water supply in Gobabis and the rest of the Omaheke Region, he said, “The Otjivero dam is the main source of surface water supply to the Omaheke Region and its level is currently at 6.1 percent as compared to 15 percent the same period last season.
The dam holding capacity is approximately 17.6 million cubic meters. The run-dry date for the Otjivero Main dam at its current percentage of capacity is November 2018.
“Groundwater supply schemes are on stand-by and will kick in when the supply from surface water sources depletes.”
Namwater has 28 boreholes in the area, of which 16 are operational. Depending on the demand situation, the remaining 12 boreholes can be activated.
“Currently there are no plans to drill any new boreholes, except to advise all stakeholders and customers to introduce water saving measures and to ensure that non-revenue water is drastically reduced,” he said.