WINDHOEK – Individuals involved in the business of cleaning vehicles in the capital have accused the City of Windhoek of trying to steal from them by restricting water usage for car washes.
After assessing the situation for the next three years, NamWater declared that after the last rainy season, only 24, 91 percent of the expected inflow in the dams was filled, stated the City of Windhoek.
The statement also indicated restrictions that Windhoek residents should adhere to in order to save water. For the car washing, it is allowed at home only with a bucket or a high-pressure cleaner.
Commercial carwashes are limited to 30 litres per car and needs to be certified as authorised.
“We had good rain the past rainy season. They (municipality) just don’t want us to make money,” said J. T Ndengu, a carwash owner in Ombili.
He said many carwash employees lost their jobs last year and turned to criminal activities in order to survive. “They should allow us to operate carwashes even if it wastes water because we will pay for it. The economy is down because of the carwashes that closed last year,” Ndengu claimed. Another car wash cleaner that identified himself only as Milan, asked, “what are the other alternatives that we could explore apart from carwashes because many of us who survived on carwashes for a living are suffering?”
City of Windhoek spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya this week told New Era that water scarcity has not only affected Windhoek but also rather the central part of Namibia.
Amutenya urged all residents to save up to 10 percent of water.
She said the southern part of Windhoek including areas such as Academia and Cimbebasia are already using water from boreholes and that in times of crisis, NamWater could reduce their water supply to the municipality by up to 70 percent.
Amutenya said restrictions were enforced with effect from August 1, so that all excessive water use activities would be minimised.
For outdoor watering, lawns and plants can only be watered twice a week. All flowers and vegetables can only be watered by hand, and watering is forbidden from 9:00 to 18:00 in the summer and between 10:00 and 16:00 during the winter, according to the press release from the City of Windhoek.
As for the public gardens and sports fields, they will be maintained with semi-purified water.
For the pools, water saving is required, and the pool covers are mandatory. Fountains and water features cannot be operating, according to the press release.
Amutenya further urged residents to look out for water leakages and report them. “Sometimes people have leaks and they discover it too late,” she said.