Emergency water supply project on track
Mariana BaltConstruction on Phase B of a new pipeline that the will transfer the water from the eastern boreholes to the central reservoir group for distribution to consumers, has begun last week.
It is part of the emergency water supply project for Windhoek, but part of the existing infrastructure is also old and seen as a high risk in times when dependency on the boreholes will be high.
This new pipeline will eliminate the need for pumping and allow the CoW to gravitate all water from these boreholes directly into the reservoirs for distribution.
Windhoek Express reported on the project last year when the first phase commenced. It all forms part of the initiative started in 2015 to accelerate the implementation of the Windhoek Management Aquifer Recharge Scheme (WMARS), started last year.
With WMARS the municipality intends increasing the internal long-term water supply capacity by injecting water into an aquifer at times of high rainfall, which can be extracted during times of drought.
The aquifer allows for long-term safekeeping with limited losses, approximately 5%, compared to conventional dams which loses up to 50%.
Residents should keep in mind that, although the city and surrounds had some good rains during the last month, the overall water situation remains a grave concern.