WINDHOEK – Because of its innovative reuse of water the City of Windhoek was chosen to host the 9th International Water Association’s (IWA) Conference on Water Reuse.
This conference will see 450 international scientists debate water reuse issues between October 27 to 31, 2013 at a local hotel. Windhoek’s innovative reuse of water actually means residents are unlikely to notice any of the ongoing disruptions in the water supply from Von Bach Dam. This is because of the city’s long-standing practice of reusing water for human consumption. This is according to the city’s highest ranking water official, Piet du Pisani.
Namwater and the City of Windhoek have announced a series of water supply interruptions, because of the upgrading of the pipeline between Von Bach Dam and the capital. The installation of new pumping stations by Nampower will ensure no water will be flowing to Windhoek from the dam for several weekends in August. However, according to Du Pisani, who is the Strategic Executive in the Department of Infrastructure, Water and Technical Services at the Windhoek Municipality, residents are unlikely to experience any water shortages, because even though the absence of rivers and rainfall make Windhoek a water-scarce environment, innovative reusing of water ensures that there are enough reserves to prevent shortages.
The Goreangab reclamation plant provides up to 25 percent of Windhoek’s water supply, turning sewage effluent into potable water within four days after it enters the system. The City of Windhoek and Namwater also embarked on a project to recharge the Windhoek aquifer artificially. The principle is, that instead of leaving water in the surface dams of Namwater, where it evaporates, the water is stored underground in the Windhoek aquifer. Because of this, the city could survive for two to three years on ground water during periods of drought and a lack of surface water.
“The value of all these unconventional sources can be seen during the Namwater shutdowns that are currently happening every second weekend during the winter of 2013,” explained Du Pisani. “Namwater has to totally shut down supply to the city for periods of up to 48 hours in order to connect new pump stations to the Von Bach-Windhoek supply line. If the city did not have access to reclaimed water and a recharged aquifer, these shutdowns would have led to severe water restrictions. As it is, the shutdowns have to date been possible without any undue hardship to Windhoek consumers, due to the harnessing of all the unconventional resources available.”
Story by Staff Reporter