"In Windhoek, every drop of water counts". This is WINGOC’s motto. It manages one of the only facilities in the world to produce drinking water from wastewater. On October 18th, 2018, this plant located in the capital of Namibia celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Namibia is one of the most arid countries in Africa: the average rainfall is 250 mm per year, but the heat causes 83% to evaporate - only 1% of rainwater infiltrates into the ground. Consequently, the water supply of Windhoek - located in central Namibia - depends mainly on boreholes and three dams located 60 and 200 km away. To cope with shortages, the city has sought alternative solutions to secure its water supply and has found an original answer through wastewater recycling.
Recycling wastewater increases the amount of drinking water available, but it also has a twofold benefit for the environment: it avoids tapping into natural resources and significantly reduces pollutant discharges.
Discover how Veolia turns Windhoek wastewater into drinking water