N$11.7bn blueprint to revamp Windhoek's water, sanitation services
The City of Windhoek has mapped out an ambitious N$11.7 billion infrastructure upgrade over the next two decades to overhaul aging water and wastewater systems.Details of the large-scale investment were revealed in the council agenda tabled on Monday, outlining a 20-year water and sanitation master plan aimed at strengthening supply, improving treatment capacity and expanding the network to meet future development demands.
According to the document, the combined cost of the water and wastewater upgrades is estimated at N$11.72 billion.
The works will be carried out in phases as new suburbs are developed, with the largest share of spending directed towards sewer expansion and modernising the city’s wastewater treatment facilities.
The bulk wastewater network, which channels effluent to treatment plants, will be upgraded at a projected cost of N$3.06 billion to ensure the efficient flow and re-use of treated water.
The water reticulation system, meanwhile, will be expanded and strengthened at an estimated N$1.35 billion to guarantee a reliable potable water supply as demand grows.
The master plan includes several major projects: the refurbishment of existing treatment works, new inlet works, membrane bioreactor (MBR) plants and rising mains with pump stations.
The largest single cost item, more than N$2.4 billion, relates to expanding the sewer network and pumping capacity, followed by N$1.2 billion for the first phase of the wastewater treatment works.
Input costs
The council agenda further outlines a comprehensive tariff review, assessing whether the city’s current water and sanitation charges comply with national legislation and are financially sustainable. The Local Authorities Act and water supply regulations require tariffs to be cost-reflective and ring-fenced, ensuring that revenue from water services fully covers operational, maintenance and capital costs.
City analyses show that while overall water and sanitation revenues exceed expenditure, the balance varies across services.
Potable water tariffs currently over-recover by 13%, semi-purified water by 31% and sanitation tariffs are at the cost-recovery level. However, the industrial effluent wastewater treatment plant at Ujams remains heavily under-recovered by 99%, requiring continued subsidisation.
Future planning also takes into account water supply from NamWater.
Two tariff scenarios were considered: one assuming a full desalination bulk tariff without government subsidy, and another based on a 75% government subsidy for desalinated water from the coast.
The council is expected to deliberate on the proposed funding and phased implementation schedule in the coming months before adopting the plan as part of its long-term infrastructure investment strategy.