‘Aging sewer systems affect councils nationwide’ – Sankwasa

…as tourism push collides with Katima’s sanitation crisis

Patience Makwele

Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa says Katima Mulilo’s worsening sewage crisis is a result of an aging sewer system that has exceeded its capacity, as concerns grow over the impact of failing infrastructure on the town’s tourism ambitions.

Sankwasa said the crisis was not caused by poor workmanship but by a system that was designed decades ago to serve a much smaller population and has not kept pace with the town’s growth.

“It is not a workmanship issue. It is a capacity issue,” Sankwasa told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.

He said Katima Mulilo’s sewer system was originally designed for a population of between 10 000 and 15 000 people, adding that the town now requires a complete overhaul of its sanitation network.