Keetmanshoop's ageing water pipeline set for N$219.7m upgrade

The first phase of the Naute–Keetmanshoop Water Pipeline Replacement Project was launched in Keetmanshoop on Thursday.

Valued at more than N$219.7 million, the project will replace ageing infrastructure that has supplied water to Keetmanshoop and surrounding communities for more than five decades.

In a speech presented on her behalf by Teofilus Nghitila, the ED for Water and Marine Resources, the minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, said the project would strengthen water security in the ||Kharas Region while supporting long-term economic and social development. She added that about 50 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase.

"We are not merely commencing the construction of another piece of infrastructure. We are making a deliberate investment in the future of the people of the ||Kharas Region. This groundbreaking ceremony represents far more than the laying of pipes beneath the earth. It represents foresight over complacency, renewal over decline and confidence over uncertainty. No community should live with the fear that something as fundamental as water might one day become unreliable," Zaamwani said.

The project will see the construction of a new 36km underground pipeline using 450mm Glass Reinforced Polyester (GRP) pipes alongside the existing line. The work is expected to take 18 months and is intended to improve the reliability and sustainability of water supplies to Keetmanshoop and neighbouring communities.

Zaamwani said the existing pipeline was constructed in 1971 and commissioned the following year as part of the Naute–Keetmanshoop Water Supply Scheme.

"For more than five decades, the people of Keetmanshoop and surrounding communities have depended on this pipeline. The increasing frequency of leaks and pipe bursts has reminded us that yesterday's solutions cannot indefinitely meet the demands of tomorrow," she said.

The minister said the project had been delayed by almost two years because of legal procurement disputes brought by unsuccessful bidders.

She urged the contractor, Adaptive Building Land Construction CC, in joint venture with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Southern Africa) (Pty) Ltd Namibia, to deliver the project to a high standard.

"You are not merely building infrastructure; you are building public confidence, strengthening livelihoods and contributing to the future of communities that depend upon this investment. We expect the highest standards of workmanship, strict adherence to timelines, an unwavering commitment to safety and meaningful participation by local communities throughout the execution of this project," she said.

NamWater Chief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia said the replacement pipeline would improve the reliability and safety of the region's water supply.

"The ageing steel pipeline, which has served us since 1971, has reached a point where its deterioration poses a serious threat to water security. Despite previous partial replacements, the remaining sections have become increasingly vulnerable to leaks and bursts, disrupting the flow of water and threatening livelihoods. This upgrade will support the Naute Dam's reservoir capacity, optimise water treatment processes and reduce losses caused by infrastructure failures," he said.