Vast water source found in Namibia could last for centuries

A water source that was discovered in Namibia may have a huge impact on development that takes place in the driest country located in sub-Saharan Africa.

At current rates of consumption it is being estimated that the aquifer could very well supply north Namibia for 400 years. According to BBC, the water may be as old as 10,000 years old but it is cleaner to drink than a lot of modern sources. According to International Business Times, the discovery is like striking gold for the country, especially on a continent that is seeing widespread droughts brought on by climate change. According to Global Post, Ohangwena II is the name of the aquifer. Namibian papers reported the discovery last week. An aquifer consists of a gravel layer or rocky layer in the Earth's surface and water can be collected in between rocks, where holes are located. However Martin Quinger, from the German federal institute for geoscience, has warned that the Ohangwena's II fresh groundwater has a smaller aquifer right on top of it and that is where salt water is located. He urged people to be careful when they try to attempt to extract water. Quinger also said that if people fail to comply with their technical recommendations, then they could end up creating a shortcut between the aquifers, and this can cause salty water to contaminate the water.