Justicia Shipena
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged citizens to pay their water bills on time, saying the sustainability of the country’s water services depends on it.
Local authorities were found to owe NamWater about N$3.5 billion, according to urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa.
NamWater reported earlier in March that local authorities, municipalities, town councils, individuals, village councils and rural water communities owed N$2.4 billion.
The figure marked a 16% increase from the N$2.1 billion recorded in June 2024, with local authorities carrying the biggest share of the debt at N$889 million.
“Moving forward, we must remember that water infrastructure and treatment come at great cost. Paying for water services ensures sustainability and directly contributes to our nation’s development,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the inauguration of the Ohangwena II Wellfield Water Supply Scheme on Thursday in Eenhana.
She called on the public to protect water infrastructure and report vandalism.
According to her, damage to these facilities impacts everyone and raises expenses.
She also stressed that water must remain affordable and accessible to all.
The Ohangwena II Wellfield Water Supply Scheme is a N$250 million project to secure long-term access to clean and reliable water for communities in Eenhana and nearby areas.
She said access to clean water is a human right and essential for health, growth and dignity.
The scheme forms part of the Namibia Water Sector Support Programme and will increase bulk supply for the Omafo–Eenhana and Omakango–Onambutu–Eenhana systems, meeting projected demand up to 2037.
It includes new boreholes, a reverse osmosis plant, reservoirs, pump stations, pipelines and brine disposal ponds.
The project draws from the Ohangwena II Aquifer, which experts describe as a key groundwater source.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said it fits into a wider national programme that includes purification plants and climate-resilient systems. She said the full set of projects linked to the wellfield will cost an estimated N$4.8 billion.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani said the country is facing severe water shortages, driven by droughts, declining groundwater, and rising demand.
She said rural areas continue to experience disruptions, and the ministry is implementing immediate, medium-term, and long-term measures to address the problem.
These measures include installing 75 unused boreholes, rehabilitating old ones and constructing 14 earth dams, one in each region.
Zaamwani said the new scheme would benefit households, schools, and health centres.
The Ohangwena Governor, Kadiva Hamutumwa, said the region is fortunate to have the Ohangwena II Aquifer, which supports agriculture, industry and commerce.
She said 80% of residents in Okongo now access potable water, but areas like Epembe, Oshikunde, and Omundaungilo still rely on poor-quality groundwater with a high salinity or fluoride content.
Hamutumwa said the region is working with NamWater to install desalination plants at boreholes with support from the Ministry of Finance.
She said future work will focus on expanding and securing networks, including the Omundaungilo–Omutsegwonime Bulk Pipeline Scheme.
NamWater said the project was completed on 6 November 2025 after a 20-month construction period.
Technical works include two boreholes in Eenhana, two in Oshandi, an 800 m³/day reverse osmosis plant, three pump stations, 206 kilometres of pipeline, nine reservoirs and brine disposal ponds.
NamWater said unexploded ordnances were found at several sites and had to be cleared by the police, causing a five-month delay.
The Ohangwena Regional Council chairperson, Erickson Ndawanifa, said the project fulfils a long-standing promise to the people of Ohangwena.
He also urged residents to protect the infrastructure and avoid vandalism.
