Decision maker tour to Outapi was fully booked
In the past years the Outapi Town Council (OTC) has implemented a unique sanitation project in its fast growing town in order to be able to tackle future challenges. These challenges comprise the provision of sanitation and a clean environment for all its inhabitants. To this end, the OTC, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), the Ministry of Urban and Regional Development (MURD) together with CuveWaters invited decision-makers from other Namibian municipalities to share their knowledge on sanitation and water reuse and to present and discuss results of the establishment of sanitation facilities in Outapi. 35 participants including mayors, CEOs and technical managers from different towns followed the invitation to take part in the all-day event.
In Outapi, the sanitation facilities that were built in the Tobias Hainyeko settlement comprise 30 so-called cluster units with toilets, showers, and hand washing basins each serving four households. In other settlements, Onhimbu and Okayekongew there is a washhouse with showers, toilets, and laundry washing basins equipped for 200 to 300 persons per day. In the Shack Dwellers Federation 55 individual houses were connected to the sanitation system. Community health clubs were established where the proper handling of the sanitation facilities and home hygiene is explained to prevent the most common diseases.
The wastewater emerging from the facilities is treated and purified for the irrigation of a farming area in Outapi. The reuse water is free of bacteria but still contains nitrogen and phosphate as a fertilizer for plants. As a result, the farmers were able to present some products such as marmalade and tomato powder.
On July 30th, 2015, the sanitation approach was introduced and the facilities were presented. In the morning, a visit to the whole chain of sanitation facilities, including the wastewater treatment plants and the irrigation site gave the opportunity to get an insight into and hands-on experience of this approach. In the afternoon, the observed effects of the sanitation project as well as implementation and financing conditions were discussed.