WINDHOEK, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A sustainable water reclamation approach by Namibia's City of Windhoek has made great strides in waste water management.
As Namibia and mainly the City of Windhoek in the country's central region brace for a water crisis by reticulation and treatment of sewerage water at its Gammas Water Care Works Treatment Plant, the Windhoek Municipality is able to provide and improve access to clean drinking water and decent sanitation to the city population.
"If it were not for recycled water, the city population could have faced another major crisis of water shortage amidst dry period," said Pierre van Rensburg Strategic Executive at the City of Windhoek on Thursday at the commemoration of World Water Day.
According to John Mutorwa, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Windhoek is so far the only city in Africa that treats its waste water effluents to portable quality.
The plant has a capacity to handle 26,000 cubic meters of water, according to Justina Haihambo, process engineer.
The waste water is sourced from households, schools and office in the City. "This water is channeled back to the plant from household, institutions and schools and is then retreated, to ensure that no water is wasted," Haihambo said.
The fact that Namibia is a dry country is one of the key motivations for adopting the alternative of recycling sewerage and turning into raw water, said Haihambo.
In Namibia, water security is not only being threatened by increased demand for water, which in some areas has outstripped supply, but is further threatened by climate change and climate variability, according to Mutorwa.
Amidst the country's realities, "waste water is a valuable resource in any circular of economy and disposal is an investment in the health of humans and ecosystems, in line with the principles of integrated water resource management," said Mutorwa.
Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre Iiboudo, UNESCO Country Director said that waste water should be used an alternative water source. "This calls for improved mechanism, and as such, waste water should no longer be seen as a problem but a solutions," Iiboudo said.
The UNESCO Country Director commended Namibia's efforts, urging that waste water should be seen as a sustainable use of water, and hence the need for improved waste management, especially given that water interlinks the implementation of all Sustainable Development Goals and all targets.
In the interim, to enhance capacity of the plant, the Gammas water treatment plant has expanded reclamation to multi-dimensions.
According to Haihambo, the waste management plant processing is not only limited to the production of raw water from waste, but also other biomass products.
