Source: ‘5 000km of Harare’s water pipes as good as dead’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 28, 2018
LOCAL Government minister July Moyo has disclosed that more than 5 000km of Harare’s water pipes were obsolete, causing the city to lose about 60% of its treated water through leakages.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
Moyo was responding to a question by Manicaland Senator Keresencia Chabuka, who had asked him to explain why water taps in Harare’s suburbs were perennially dry.
“The problem with the reticulation system in Harare is that 5 000km of water pipes are as good as dead,” Moyo said.
“They lose 60% of that water which is pumped, and so there is no way that the water can reach every home.
“The waterworks at Morton Jaffray has not been pumping very well. However, we got some support of $72 million, which we have put in Morton Jaffray Waterworks to upgrade it so that it can pump more water to Harare.”
Moyo said there must be a water utility system that caters for all urban areas around the metropolitan area of Harare, including urban areas that fall under Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West that were now encroaching onto the Harare Metropolitan area.
“We know very well that there is rural to urban migration and that needs to be planned by the local authorities, and the city fathers and mothers to make sure that it is consistent with the growth of the population.”
The minister said in cities like Harare, expansion had taken place with people building in areas where expansion of water mains had not taken place. Some of those places included Caledonia and Harare South.
“I can say for the last 20 years, we have had serious problems with water reticulation in most of our urban centres, partly because investments or planning by the local authorities has not been consistent with the expansion that has taken place in those urban areas,” Moyo said.
He added that Harare’s water woes were worsened by the fact that the city supplies water to other towns like Chitungwiza, Epworth, Ruwa and Norton.
“Obviously, we need to renew the water pipes that distribute to all the areas in Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Epworth and Norton,” Moyo said.
COMMENTS
ZANU does not know the meaning of “maintenance”. They take all the money paid by rate payers for water and use it for who knows what, but not maintenance.
And if cannot do maintenance then forget about “development”. Do the baby steps first!
Sorry Sir, the issue is management not expansion. No one in Harare seems to know were the bulk meters and control valves are located let alone their state. Pumping more water, or putting new pipes will not solve the problem. as Mr Smith says, the baby steps first!!!
ZW has the cleverest people on the continent of Africa according to the UN.
Pity the rest of the continent !
It must be that the whole system is knackered. Unfortunately most politicians do not understand maintenance or care about it because it does not win votes. However if you add your railways, electricity, Broadband, Sewage to this you have a hell of a problem. What you do have is lots of hands so now is time to order 5000 Shovels and start digging. Do it the Victorian way – navies.