OMUSATI – The Outapi Town  Council is using the nutrient-rich waste water from a storage pond to irrigate an agricultural area by drip irrigation to produce crops for human consumption.

The project is being jointly run by the town council and German industry partner Bilfinger Water Technologies and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The garden is under the care of the community and produces a variety of crops. It started in 2015 and this year produced a bumper harvest  According to the senior manager of environmental health and safety at the council, Herman Neumbo, it is the garden’s first exceptionally large harvest.
The crops are sold to the community at a reasonable price. 

The chief executive officer of the town council, Ananias Nashilongo, said the water from the treatment plant is hygienically safe for reuse in agriculture. He said the garden produces tomatoes, green peppers, maize, watermelons, pumpkins and onions.

“Waste water is generated daily throughout the year in almost equal quantities,” he said.
Describing the complex mechanics of pretreating the wastewater, Nashilongo assured the nation that the water is purified and disinfected and thus safe for use in the garden.
Stabilised sludge is dried in the sun and can be used as manure.