Walvis Bay sewage problems continue

The long-standing crisis of blocked drains and overflowing sewers toilets in Walvis Bay residential areas has reached boiling point for many residents.In e-mail exchanges between residents and the Walvis Bay municipality this week, a frustrated resident warned that the often used excuse of “limited resources and ageing infrastructure” would no longer be accepted as an excuse for the ongoing problem which started in late 2016.“I, like many other residents, pay for your services and therefore I want a service that is worth my money, full stop. The fee that I need to pay for this service is not blocked. If I do not pay, the municipality will take action,” an e-mail sent to the municipality this week read.Following another overflowing sewer line in late December, a resident wrote to the municipality pleading for someone to provide a “reasonable, understandable explanation why we as residents have to deal with this nonsense. Where can I get some legal advice? I am sick and tired of this.”Another resident complained: “The solutions are temporary and the problems keep recurring. Our area is currently OK but we know this won't last – there is a distinct pattern of recurrence.” One resident estimated that the sewers function normally for about six days before problems arise again.The resident pointed out: “It is unbelievable that in the age of today and with the IT technology available, that Walvis Bay municipality is not in a position to install level indicators in the sewer lines or in certain areas, but rather rely on notifications from the residents.”He said it's only when residents tell the municipality that their toilets are backing up that action is taken. This week, in response to another alert, an e-mail sent from the Walvis Bay Department of Water, Waste and Management assured residents that the municipality was “persistently looking at several options to remedy the situation and find a lasting situation.”The e-mail highlighted the challenges contributing to blocked sewers, including “limited resources and other factors such as overloaded network lines, debris entering the sewer system and ageing of the infrastructure.” Residents dismissed the explanation, saying the same excuses had been used dozens of times since last year. They said the issue had reached “the ultimate point of frustration where we as residents will have to look at alternative options regarding a solution to this ongoing problem.”In June, Namibian Sun twice reported on the issue affecting numerous homes, which regularly experienced clogged toilets and drains.At the time, the municipality said the town had experienced “higher than normal sewer levels in the lagoon area and at the sewage collection point at the pump station.”At a meeting with residents in June, John Esterhuizen, the general manager for solid waste, explained that the sewage problems could be linked to unprecedented population and development growth at the town which had put pressure on the system.“The sharp rise in the number of people living in Walvis Bay, coupled by an acute shortage of building inspectors and limited capacity with only two pump trucks being operational, also worsens the situation. One pump truck costs approximately N$500 000,” he told Namibian Sun. He added that there were talks to privatise the cleaning of the sewage system. He said the infrastructure needed an urgent upgrade, with additional pumps and more pipelines. However, the email this week from the frustrated resident accused the municipality of using the same excuses over and over, but never finalising solutions and providing detailed plans and timelines. “Please keep the sewer lines open, let the relevant municipal maintenance teams do their jobs what they are supposed to do and paid for, and I assure you that you will not have residents moaning and groaning regarding lack of good services. Let this be your service delivery barometer in this regard.”JANA-MARI SMITH

Walvis Bay sewage problems continue

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-24

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Walvis Bay sewage problems continue

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-24

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