State-of-the-art water treatment in Namibia

• Long-term DEG loan in local currency
• Best practise model of a cooperation between municipality of Windhoek and private companies

Across the globe, 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, contributes to the protection of scarce water resources by providing a long-term loan of 100m South African rand (approximately 7.3m euros) for the construction of a state-of-the-art water treatment plant in Namibia.

Following an international tender by the city of Windhoek, the Ujams Wastewater Treatment Company (Pty) Ltd, a joint venture between the Austrian VA Tech WABAG GmbH and the French Veolia Eau SCA, was awarded the contract to construct the plant and operate it for a period of 20 years. A pilot plant that ran for several months has successfully demonstrated the viability of the membrane technology, which will be implemented. Additionally, experiences regarding the local waste water situation have been gathered.

The DEG loan covers around three quarters of the construction costs, thereby rendering a major contribution for the realisation of the project. The new plant, which complies with international environmental standards, will replace an outdated wastewater treatment plant in the industrial zone of the Namibian capital Windhoek, put into operation in 1966.

The capacity of the new plant totals 5,175 m³/d. It will mainly treat wastewater from Windhoek's northern industrial zone before flowing into the Little Windhoek River. The river then flows into the Swakoppoort Dam - a reservoir that is used for the abstraction of drinking water -, as a result of which the plant at the same time contributes to a long-term water quality improvement in the Swakoppoort reservoir. The treated wastewater may additionally be used in agriculture, thereby conserving the city's scarce water resources.

The project serves as a best practise model for an investment of a private company into municipal sewage treatment. In the specific case of Windhoek, the cooperation is even one of the first of its kind for the municipality. Cooperations like these can give valuable impetus also to the fields of transport, recycling and energy supply, thereby boosting Namibia's attractiveness as a business location.

The sustainable utilisation of natural resources is important for a commitment of DEG, one of Europe's largest development finance institutions. In 2012 alone, DEG committed almost 400m euros for climate and environmentally friendly investments.