Harare water cuts to continue

By Helen Kadirire

Harare should brace for more water cuts as the pumps at the city’s water treatment works continue to break down.

According to the environmental committee minutes, although Morton Jaffray (MJ) breakdowns are being attended to on a regular basis some valves continue to collapse.

The water treatment works is undergoing refurbishment after the China Exim Bank extended a $144 million loan to the city and once completed is set to increase supply coverage to 72 000 households, reduce non-revenue water by 25 percent and increase revenue by about $21,6 million annually.

“Warren Control was earmarked for rehabilitation under the Chinese loan facility but due to delayed disbursements no work had started. Council had carried out minor repairs to enable the plant to continue running but the plant had remained prone to breakdowns,” read part of the minutes.

The Herbert Gomba-led committee said minor rehabilitation works which required less investments would be carried out while council awaits resources for comprehensive rehabilitation.

Harare’s water woes have mainly attributed to obsolete infrastructure as 55 percent of its water is lost through bursts and illegal connections.

According to the city mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, once the refurbishment of Morton Jaffary is completed it would also reduce physical water losses by 72 million litres per day,

Apart from refurbishing MJ and Prince Edward, Harare also requires $178 million to fund its water pipe replacement and network rehabilitation exercise to avoid loss of water due to burst pipes and illegal connections.

The Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund will soon be embarking on its second phase of rehabilitating the water and sanitation project at an estimated cost of $36 million. Daily News