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Pragma manages Namwater physical assets

Consulting engineers, Pragma, is becoming an expert group of note to the Namibian utilities sector. In June last year, Namwater became the first local utility to enlist the services of Pragma. This was followed by Nampower tasking Pragma to do a technical review of the major transmission substations linking the South African grid to the Namibian grid.
Namwater is a state-owned commercial entity that supplies bulkwater to industries, municipalities and the Directorate of Rural Water Supply in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. It has appointed Pragma as its physical asset management partner for a high priority project to be completed this year.
Last year, Partner Consultant of Pragma, Mr Karl Nepgen said “We won the contract by tender and will start with the ‘Development of Maintenance Management System for Namwater’ project immediately. The project is managed in three phases.”

Phase 1, also referred to as ‘Setting the Scene’, kicked off in April last year and covered four months. It entailed an assessment of Namwater’s Water Supply asset management maturity, using Pragma’s proven Asset Management Improvement Plan (AMIP) framework and methodologies, followed by the development of the asset management charter consisting of policy, strategy and a master plan.
Nepgen said “Following completion and acceptance of the first phase, Phase 2 (Developing the Maintenance Management System (MMS)) focuses on detailed reviewing and improvement of asset care activities, standards and procedures, as well as the critical evaluation and specification of an appropriate computerised maintenance management system from an IT point of view. The final phase (Implementing the MMS) rounds off the groundwork, with the development of detailed plans, schedules and budgets for the 2013/14 financial year. The overall outcome of the project will ensure that Namibia obtains optimal return on their investment to keep bulk water flowing from source to client.”
For the Namwater project, Pragma has also partnered with Aurecon. “The project partnership will ensure that Namwater receives the best of both physical asset management processes, as well as the relevant civil engineering specialist services,” said Nepgen.

 

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