Residents push for water system rehab as half of households live without water daily

HARARE residents have called on council to prioritise the rehabilitation of the city’s water reticulation system amid reports that more than half of households go without water daily, NewsDay can report According to the Harare Master Plan [2025-45] Report of Study, water supply

is intermittent, with the majority of the population receiving water once a week, twice a week or thrice a week “There are some parts of the city, particularly in the peri-urban and north-eastern parts, which never receive water,” the report said However, Harare Combined Residents Association programmes manager Rueben Akili said lack of municipal water supplies had compromised household hygiene standards, resulting in perpetual waterborne disease outbreaks in the capital

“The remaining uncovered 50% has been accessing water from public water points and seen the proliferation of private borehole drilling, which has put pressure on underground water The level of extraction of groundwater has increased significantly and this is not sustainable, particularly given that the water table has gone down “On the other hand, other residents have been using open shallow wells and springs to access water, especially in wetlands, but these public water points have also seen the abuse of women and girls,” he said Akili said the solution to the crisis needed the council to address the issues of water pollution, especially from industrial waste and effluent

“Water pollution has impacted water production in terms of quality and quantity The raw water from lakes Chivero and Manyame is heavily polluted “So, the issue of addressing water pollution should be on the agenda of the local authority We are also told that there are companies that do not have pre-treatment facilities for wastewater disposal

These companies should comply with environmental regulations “Lastly, there is a need for more water sources and effective management of the catchment area, including protection of wetlands which provide ecological services for free, such as water storage, purification and recharge.”

Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba said there was no need for council to look for alternative sources of water before rehabilitating the water system “Currently, the City of Harare loses 60% of treated water through leakages and illegal connections along the distribution network Before finding an alternative water source for Harare, the Harare Residents’ Trust recommends the immediate replacement of underground water pipes to increase the quantity of water reaching households connected to the water distribution network,” he said

“The current quantities of water being treated are significant to make a difference among the residents of Harare, Norton, Inkomo Barracks, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa.”

According to the master plan, property owners in Harare have resorted to subsurface water as an alternative.

Source: The Standard Zimbabwe