Ancient aquifer is back-up

Agriculture, Water and Forestry Minister John Mutorwa was at Eenhana at the weekend where he met regional councillors, representatives of NamWater and other stakeholders to discuss water-related issues in the Ohangwena Region. Mutorwa briefed the gathering on the general water situation in Namibia and in turn was briefed on the water supply situation in Ohangwena. The gathering was informed of the newly discovered aquifer called Ohangwena 2 which lies under the border between Angola and Namibia as well as the government’s long term plans to augment water supply to the central areas and the Cuvelai area. Ohangwena 2 aquifer is presented as the possible solution to water woes facing the northern regions as it is said to be able to supply enough water for many years. The aquifer was found at depth between 250m and 350m. According to the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Abraham Nehemia, the study on the Ohangwena 2 aquifer has established that there is a lot of water, but the actual volume and the recharge rate still needs to be established. He also said that the quality of water in the Ohangwena 2 aquifer is “very old” and treatment with fluoride might be necessary. According to him, the Ohangwena 2 aquifer could be a secure back-up supply option for the northern and central regions if developed accordingly, but Ohangwena 1 should remain the primary choice for rural water supply where quantity and quality is sufficient. “Only where Ohangwena 1 fails should usage of Ohangwena 2 be considered,” he said. Ohangwena 1 lies above Ohangwena 2 and the two sources are separated by an impermeable layer. NamWater CEO Vaino Shivute briefed the gathering on the recurring water supply interruptions at Eenhana and said this was due to increased demand as the town developed rapidly as well as inadequate infrastructure that requires upgrading. As a short- to medium-term intervention, NamWater plans to replace the existing pumps with bigger models and to install a new switchboard; drill additional boreholes, design and construct a bigger reservoir and connect well field boreholes at Oshandi to augment the supplies. He said the activities will be funded by NamWater and the costs will be recovered from the customers. Residents in the western and central areas of the Ohangwena Region have access to water pipelines, but the eastern areas depend on boreholes that are far from sufficient. Friday’s meeting at Eenhana was a follow-up to a similar meeting held in Windhoek in August at the request of the Ohangwena Regional Council. The councillors were unhappy about how some water supply projects were implemented, with one contractor allegedly supplying low-quality water pipes while at least one consultant was not paid, months after having completed the job. Minister Mutorwa was not happy and urged ministry officials to rectify the situation. PLACIDO HILUKILWA