Harare City bemoans power cuts effect on water sup...

Harare City bemoans power cuts effect on water supply

Morton Jaffray water treatment plant in Zimbabwe undergoes upgrades

Zim Now Writer

The City of Harare Council has bemoaned the Zimbabwe Transmission and Distribution Electricity Company power cuts saying that load-shedding at various pump stations within residential areas as well as isolation of various sections of the network is affecting water supply coverage.

Acting Director of Harare Water, Eng Victor Musikavanhu, said the city’s water treatment plants are constantly undergoing rehabilitation with the aim of apprehending the target of 536 mega litres a day by the end of the year.

He said currently, water production was hovering between 390 to 410 mega litres a day.

“We are targeting to produce 336 Megalitres per day by year end hence the need for the on-going rehabilitation of filters and clarifiers at Morton Jaffray Water Works,” he said.

Harare Water Department Service Delivery Report for The Month of February 2023 indicated that the shortage of pipe materials for pipe burst repairs had also adversely affected coverage as some portions went closed for several weeks.

Musikavanhu added that 2 353 blockages were cleared out of a total of 2 415 blockages hence 97.4 percent cleared chokes of reported blockages.

He added that there was an increase in water produced in February compared to the month of January 2023.

“Waste water treatment plants continued to be monitored for environmental compliance to EMA standards.

“The chemical supply challenges were yet to be resolved as Zimphos was still to sustain Council`s daily aluminum requirements and work on the proposed Chlorine Dioxide technology was still to be completed,” he said.

For years, the City of Harare has been struggling with one of the most basic functions laid out in the Urban Councils Act — delivering portable water.