Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency, is supporting the rehabilitation and extension of the Gammams and Otjomuise wastewater treatment plants in Windhoek, Namibia, with a loan of around USD 56 million. The aim is to improve the supply of drinking water to Windhoekers from treated wastewater.
Windhoek wants to increase its supply of drinking water from treated wastewater. To achieve this, the Namibian government plans to upgrade the Gammams and Otjomuise wastewater treatment plants in the Namibian capital. The project has just received a concessional loan of around 56 million US dollars from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency. The agreement was signed on 12 December 2023 between Beatrice Lucke, KfW’s Country Director for Namibia, and Iipumbu Wendelinus Shiimi, Namibia’s Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises.
Like several other Namibian cities, Windhoek regularly experiences extreme and prolonged periods of drought. The result is an extremely delicate situation in terms of water supply, requiring precise management of demand, which involves harnessing unconventional water resources such as wastewater.
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At the Gammams municipal wastewater treatment plant, the work could increase the wastewater collection rate to 50,000 m3 per day, compared with the current rate of between 32,000 and 38,000 m3. The plant, built in 1961, is capable of treating 28,000 m3 of wastewater per day.
Improving drinking water supplies for more than 400,000 Windhoekers
The objective is the same for the Otjomuise plant. According to the German Embassy in Namibia, the rehabilitation and extension of the Gammams and Otjomuise facilities will also guarantee the supply of a second direct potable water recovery plant (DPR 2), which will contribute to Windhoek’s water security, as well as protecting water resources throughout the central region.
The DPR 2 project is also being financed by the Namibian government with support from KfW, and will be implemented at the same time as work to upgrade the water treatment plants. In all, more than 400,000 people will benefit from these two projects in Windhoek.
Inès Magoum
