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Faq
Exactly what is done to water before it comes out of the tap? And who are the responsible role players in this process?
- A series of events results in clean potable water from the tap
- Determines the quantity of water needed per year to satisfy the needs of the consumers.
- Identifies the water source, such as rivers, underground aquifers, lakes or the sea.
- Develop the water source to be able to abstract water from the source
- Develop the infrastructure to treat the water and to transfer it to the tap
- Treat the water to ensure that it is suitable for human consumption
- Transfer the water from the source to the tap
Should the cost of water not go down when we are blessed with abundant rainfall, and when surely there is enough water for the nations’ needs?
- Namibia is generally regarded as a dry country, there are those rare occasions when we are blessed with an excellent rainy season (like in 2006) and many of our dams become full. It is also likely that good recharge has been received in some of our boreholes.
- In such (blessed) instances there is enough water in many parts of the country.
- However, you do not really pay for the water; you pay for the cost of delivering the water. This cost includes the cost to build and maintain infrastructure; treatment of water with chemicals, etc.
- Plentiful rains do not reduce NamWater’s expenses to supply water.
Why does the price of water differ from one region to another, for example the difference in cost between Swakopmund and Gobabis, or even communities in the Okavango region where they live near a river?
- As with the price of any other commodity, the water price fluctuates in accordance with the market forces. The price of water is dependant on the cost of labour (salaries), cost of electricity, fuel, water treatment chemicals, construction, pumps, pipes, water meters etc. NamWater has neither jurisdiction nor control over the price of these elements or factors needed to supply our customers with good quality water on a continuous basis.
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