Aussenkehr Bulk Water Supply Scheme
Enabling sustainable livelihoods for the community of Aussenkehr.
Aussenkehr is a grape production farm and a settlement located on the banks of the Orange River, on the southern border of Namibia. The town has recently been established to provide housing and services to grape farmworkers.
Namibia Water Incorporated Ltd. (NamWater) appointed Zutari to design new infrastructure to abstract water from the Orange River and treat and transport the bulk potable water to the Aussenkehr Town terminal reservoir.
Due to the arid conditions in Namibia, the potential for agricultural production is limited. However, the floodplain areas of the Lower Orange River along the southern border between South Africa and Namibia offered valuable opportunities for agriculture.
NamWater initially appointed Zutari to undertake the environmental impact assessment (EIA) to construct a bulk water system network and associated infrastructure for Aussenkehr. Following the EIA’s findings, the project’s scope extended to supply civil, mechanical, and electrical services.
The project consisted of a river abstraction pump station, a water treatment plant, a storage reservoir, and interconnecting pipelines to convey water to the terminal reservoir
The construction of a bulk water system network in Namibia presented valuable opportunities for agriculture
The provision of potable water to Aussenkehr promotes sustainable livelihoods for the community
The project’s objective was to extend it with another ± 23 ha under micro irrigation, construct a booster pump systems station, additional labour housing, sewerage works and renovate the potable water system of the total Aussenkehr area.
The preliminary design work included a high level of detail for the new structure. To ensure adequate water supply for the 23-hectare land area under micro-irrigation by connecting to the 700mm class 12 Fibre Cement pipe. The abstraction works were simplified to minimise the need for constant maintenance.
The project’s success was attributed to stakeholder involvement, particularly the collaboration with the Karas Regional Council, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and Aussenkehr Cooperatives. This resulted in the Aussenkehr Bulk Water Supply Scheme helping the community of Aussenkehr to have sustained livelihoods and continue developing.
*The Aurecon Africa business has been officially renamed Zutari as at 21 July 2020. Zutari acquired Aurecon Middle East on 20 November 2020.
