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Namwater celebrates two decades

Since its establishment in December 1997, Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has indeed lived up to its mandate, which is to provide quality water and related services to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, taking cognisance of the environment, scarcity and dependency of all on water.

NamWater has offices and water schemes in all 14 regions of the country. Being a commercialised water entity and not a privatised entity, NamWater’s sole shareholder is the government of Namibia, which is represented by a board of directors. The board ensures that NamWater utilises the country’s scarce water resources in the best interests of Namibia and its people.

It has not always been easy; there have been some ups and downs, however, NamWater still manages to face every challenge and thrive.

Over the years billions of dollars have been spent on the construction of water treatment plants, water transportation pipes and educational institutes, to name a few.

Achievements

If one looks at the Namibia landscape at independence, the percentage of access to potable water was between 43% and 45%. According to a 2011 census, this number has changed drastically. About 94% of people in rural Namibia now have access to potable water, as well as 98% urban areas. It took a great effort to achieve these levels, in order to fulfil the company’s mandate. On average, 85% of the population in Namibia have access to clean water.

Ogongo purification plant upgrade

To ensure security of water supply to the Omusati and Oshana regions, design work on the upgrade to this Ogongo purification plant continues. Procurement of the raw-water pumps, as well as a lime dosing system have been completed, including the work on the raw-water pump station, dosing systems, backwash system, filters and clarifiers.

HRDC facilities extension

NamWater has a human resource development centre (HRDC) at Von Bach, near Okahandja, where the company plays a pivotal role in the national quest of securing industry-driven skills, in cooperation with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation. Accommodation facilities at the Von Bach human resource development centre have been extended. The construction of phases one and two, which consists of 80 rooms for students, was completed.