Construction of the N$450 million Katima Mulilo wastewater treatment plant is officially underway after the Katima Mulilo Town Council handed the project site over to Fulbright Water, following the award of an environmental clearance certificate Wansom AI Windhoek Observer. In a report published 5 September 2026, the project was confirmed as covering a new treatment works, upgrades to existing sewer pump stations and rising mains, and a network extension to support the planned eastward expansion of the town Wansom AI.
Key takeaways
- Contract value reported at N$450 million for a new wastewater treatment plant, pump-station upgrades and sewer network expansion in Katima Mulilo Wansom AI.
- Site formally handed over to Fulbright Water after the environmental clearance certificate was secured Wansom AI Windhoek Observer.
- Build programme reported at 13 to 14 months, financed by Standard Bank Namibia and Old Mutual Windhoek Observer.
- Local workforce reported at 40 on sewer and pump-station works today, projected to exceed 100 once the main plant build starts Wansom AI.
- Workforce reported at 70% to 75% from the Zambezi Region, with financiers requiring quarterly local-employment reports Windhoek Observer Wansom AI.
What happened
The project had been stalled by the environmental clearance process and by the relocation of residents living inside a 250-metre buffer zone around the plant site Wansom AI Windhoek Observer. Katima Mulilo mayor Kabende Kabende said the Town Council has now obtained the Namibia environmental clearance certificate and that the buffer-zone residents have been moved, with a warning that any new illegal structures will be removed by law enforcement Wansom AI. "This will alleviate the pressures we have on our existing network infrastructure, in terms of sewer, the majority of which is aged and was not able to hold the existing capacity," Kabende said Windhoek Observer.
Project Manager Scott Richards reported that about 40 people are currently deployed on sewer and pump-station works, a figure expected to rise above 100 once the main treatment plant build starts, with 70% to 75% of the workforce drawn from the Zambezi Region Wansom AI. The mayor added that Standard Bank and Old Mutual require quarterly local-employment reports as a condition of the project finance Wansom AI.
Fulbright Water's group chief operating officer said the contractor can now proceed, asked residents to expect temporary disruption from sewer works, and confirmed the 13 to 14 month construction window Windhoek Observer. Treated wastewater will be recycled and potentially reused for irrigation, and the existing oxidation plant will be decommissioned once the new facility is operational Windhoek Observer. The mayor said the upgraded system is sized to accommodate town growth over the next 20 years Windhoek Observer.
| Item | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Contract value | N$450 million |
| Construction window | 13 to 14 months |
| Current workforce | 40 employees (sewer and pump-station works) |
| Peak workforce expected | More than 100 once main plant build starts |
| Local share of workforce | 70% to 75% from the Zambezi Region |
| Buffer zone around plant | 250 metres |
| Design horizon | 20 years of town growth |
| Existing asset to be decommissioned | Current oxidation plant |
Specification read
For a municipal build of this size — N$450 million, a 13 to 14 month programme, a 20-year design horizon and a recycled-water reuse stream — the reported scope lines up with a mid-sized regional treatment works serving roughly 50,000 to 150,000 residents in a hot, peri-urban African setting (general industry range, not from the sources). Converting from a population-equivalent lens, that typically implies a design flow in the order of 10,000 to 30,000 m³/day, with raw wastewater BOD commonly in the 200 to 400 mg/L range (general industry range, not from the sources).
The reported scope maps onto a conventional municipal train: screening and grit removal → primary settling → biological treatment (a packaged activated-sludge variant, SBR or MBBR, is the typical fit at this scale, with MBR reserved where a tight footprint or a reuse-grade effluent is needed) → tertiary clarification (DAF is a strong fit where algae, oil or fine suspended solids are a concern in the source water or where polishing ahead of UV is specified) → disinfection, and a reuse loop for irrigation Windhoek Observer. The handover, site clearance and existing oxidation-plant decommissioning indicate this is a greenfield main plant plus network upgrade, with the first months of the 13 to 14 month window absorbed by sewer and pump-station work, not the biological stage.
If your plant looks like a 10,000 to 30,000 m³/day municipal works with 200 to 400 mg/L BOD influent, ageing pump stations, and a public or private utility that has to demonstrate local-employment spend to its lenders, the procurement signal here is that EPC packages of this size are being awarded on a combined wastewater-plus-network scope, with a contractual window of roughly a year and a built-in reuse obligation (general industry range, not from the sources). For readers comparing treatment train choices and DAF versus clarifier selection, see the DAF vs Clarifier for Mining Wastewater in Brookhaven 2026 and DAF vs Clarifier for Mining Wastewater in Fairbanks, 2026: Which Should Factories Choose? reads; for a comparable urban underground-space precedent, see the Monaco waste project to free up underground space for SMEaux wastewater expansion, August 2026 note. Municipal procurement teams can also use the Municipal hub and the Industries We Serve page to frame an enquiry around biological stage selection and DAF polishing.
FAQ
How large is the Katima Mulilo wastewater plant contract and what is the build window?
Reported at N$450 million with a 13 to 14 month construction programme, financed by Standard Bank Namibia and Old Mutual and delivered by Fulbright Water Wansom AI Windhoek Observer.
What does the scope include beyond the new treatment plant?
Upgrades to existing sewer pump stations and rising mains, and a network extension to support the planned eastward expansion of Katima Mulilo, with the existing oxidation plant to be decommissioned once the new facility is operational Wansom AI Windhoek Observer.
What local-employment conditions are attached to the project finance?
Standard Bank and Old Mutual require quarterly reports on local workforce participation, with 70% to 75% of the current workforce drawn from the Zambezi Region and 40 employees engaged today, expected to rise above 100 once the main plant build starts Wansom AI Windhoek Observer.
Will the treated wastewater be reused?
Yes — the sources report that treated wastewater will be recycled and potentially reused for irrigation, and the upgraded system is sized for 20 years of town growth Windhoek Observer. Typical reuse-grade design targets suspended solids below 10 mg/L and BOD below 10 mg/L upstream of disinfection (general industry range, not from the sources).
