Ondangwa and Omuthiya without water

Residents of Ondangwa up to Omuthiya were left with dry taps since Tuesday night due to a pipe burst at the J&M Complex in Ondangwa. NamWater’s chief strategy and corporate affairs officer Kadiva Hamutumwa, confirmed this on Wednesday, saying the pipe broke on Tuesday night around 23h00 at Ondangwa.

According to Hamutumwa, the Oshali pipeline runs under the Ondangwa J&M Complex. “As a result of the pipeline break, water supply downstream from Ondangwa has been interrupted and water supply shortages will be experienced as soon as the reserves in the reservoirs run out,” she said.

Hamutumwa indicated that the repair works have commenced and are estimated to take between 12 to 48 hours, adding that the pipeline will need to be partly demolished to allow the team on-site to access the underground pipeline. Further, Hamutumwa stated that it is important to note that putting up structures on top of a water pipeline poses significant risks to the pipeline as the weight of the structure can cause the pipeline to crack or rupture, leading to water leaks and contamination.

NamWater urges the public to ensure that all structures are built at a safe distance from the pipeline. Hamutumwa indicated that critical institutions such as hospitals and police stations that may experience a total water supply interruption are requested to contact the designated NamWater Schemes for arrangements to ferry water by tankers. She then requested all customers downstream from Ondangwa to use water very sparingly and to avoid wastage at all costs.

(NAMPA)
MD/PS/EK
(NAMPA)