NamWater continues the battle to provide water to the northern regions, a situation that has severely impacted humans and livestock in especially remote rural areas.
Namwater Chief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia says water from the canal has finally reached Oshakati for treatment before it can be distributed.
Residents were for the past month forced to travel long distances to fetch water, some for both household consumption and for their animals.
''We have been without water for many days; sometimes we get little water from wells, but some wells are fenced off by the owners whom we plead with to give us water; sometimes they are not willing to because they reserve water for their livestock and families."
Relief has now come, as water has reached the treatment plant at Oshakati for purification and distribution.''
''What happened here at Oshakati is that the raw water is treated and then sent off to the three main directions of water that go through the Omakango pipeline to Omakango and Omafo for the Ohangwena Region, the water that goes to Ondangwa and goes to all the pipelines in Oshikoto, and also the water that is pumped from the southern direction to the Omapale pipeline and goes to Ompundja and also to the cattle posts.''
NamWater remains challenged, though, in terms of the Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, and Omusati regions, where demand has exceeded capacity.
''Whatever we are pumping, there is still a deficit. We are now supplying about 93,000 cubic meters per hour, and the supply is around 67,000 per hour. You can see the 13,000 cubic meters difference deficit that we still need to address.''
NamWater has now acquired water tankers to ferry water to end users in rural areas that lack access to potable water.
Nehemia states that water is currently rationed but remains firm that everyone will soon receive it.
''We have that as water gets into the lines, people who are at the beginning are storing water, filling up tanks and drums. By doing that, it slows down the movement of water to the end lines.''