woes to persist
Harare water current situation: Fact file • Service area: 4 to 4,5 million people (including Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Norton and Epworth) • Production; 2 water treatment plants, ? Morton Jaffray rated 614ml/day (current production stands at 555 ml/day.) ? Prince Edward rated 90ml/day (current production 65ml/day. Total 620 ml/day.) • Pumping stations: 23 pumping stations, principal sites ? Warren control ? Alexandra Park ? Letombo • Reservoirs: 28 with capacity of 850ml Harare Mayor Muchadei Masunda said for the city to return to functionality, “There is need to ensure regular power supply to treatment and pumping stations, so as to have equitable and regular distribution of water produced through better management of the network and removal of bottle necks,” he said. Harare City Council has admitted that it needs an initial capital injection of US$121 million, with resultant monthly incremental revenue of US$5,521 million. Minister Ignatius Chombo called on the council to hasten plans to de-couple Harare and Chitungwiza water treatment plants, to ease water demand for Harare. However, limited credit lines for the council have left Harare in a difficult situation. Critically, Harare’s raw water sources
Environment
Photographs courtesy of Angela Jimu are in danger. Lakes Chivero and Manyame are way over their adaptive capacity, and the same is true for Seke and Harava dams. Experts say the only solution to the city’s water woes would be for the city fathers to build new dams such as Kunzvi and Musanhi. At least US$1,4 billion would be needed for such projects. The Harare Residents’ Trust (HRT) called on government’s intervention to mitigate the crisis. The HRT views water as an integral and strategic economic factor that influences foreign direct investment and ensures sustainable community development and the realisation of peace within communities. TP
The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine
February 2013
Page 41