According to the most recent Namibian Population and Housing Census report, 80 per cent of households have access to clean water but only 60 per cent in rural populations have clean water access. Total water use in Namibia was estimated at 300 million m3 in 2000. The municipal sector including tourism and industry used 73 million m3 (24 per cent), while the bulk of water use is for agriculture and livestock.

Namibia has a long history of water scarcity due to the arid climate and high evaporation rates (Dirkx et al., 2008). Furthermore, the lack of readily available water in the interior of the country is highlighted as an important limiting factor for development.

Can I drink the tap water in Namibia? Tap water is purified in hotels, lodges and other public places so are safe to drink. If you are worried about drinking tap water, bottled water is available to purchase throughout Namibia.

In cities like Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek, the water is considered as 'may be safe to drink' because the water is chlorinated. This means that locals can drink water from the tap without issue. Furthermore, high chlorine levels and unbalanced mineral contents in tap water lead to unpleasant tastes.