Rehoboth wastewater plant under pressure
Rehoboth’s wastewater infrastructure is facing increasing pressure, with the town’s existing oxidation plant designed for about 17,000 inhabitants while the current population is estimated at between 42,000 and 47,000.
The situation was outlined by the chief executive officer Ronald Windswaai, during the Rehoboth Town Council’s ordinary meeting as part of the council’s monthly strategic forward report for August. Windswaai said a preliminary environmental assessment for a wastewater treatment plant was under way because the existing oxidation plant was no longer able to carry the population load.
“If I am correct, we are standing between 42,000 and 47,000 inhabitants,” he said. He said the existing plant had been constructed to accommodate at least 17,000 inhabitants and was no longer sufficient. The council has spent between N$10 million and N$14 million upgrading the plant, but the CEO said the upgrades had still not made it sufficiently capable of handling the required capacity.
The wastewater treatment plant is listed among the council’s special projects, alongside initiatives including the road tarring programme and the digitisation of services. The council’s strategic report identifies the wastewater treatment plant as part of its efforts to address current infrastructure and service-delivery challenges.
