The MDC-T-led Harare City Council has admitted that the
water it pumps into residents’ homes may not be safe for human consumption, and
advised consumers to exercise caution until such a time that total quality is
assured. Borehole water in some of Harare’s high-density suburbs was recently
condemned as unsafe for human consumption, leaving residents without a
confirmed safe source of potable water.
Tests confirmed that some boreholes were contaminated with
the Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria which causes water-borne diseases and
other health challenges. Addressing stakeholders following several pictures and
video clips circulating on social media showing the city’s water as brownish or
greenish, Harare Mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni said the city was raising
the caution out of concern for consumers.
“Our claims that the water is chemically safe to drink will
not hold if residents cannot stand the sight of frothing or foaming coloured
water. This has been caused by the shortage of our main chemicals — aluminium
sulphate, sulphuric acid, HTH Chlorine and activated carbon,” said Clr
Manyenyeni.
“Almost all our
chemicals are imported and we have been caught in the crisis of forex. We are
putting more demands for priority with the central bank. We have also requested
the Ministry (Local Government, Public Works and National Housing) to push for
that priority allocation,” he said.
“It is, therefore, fair to share with you all that while we
assert that we are doing the best to fix the quality issues, we apologise and
request our consumers to exercise caution until such a time as total quality is
assured. We will do our best to fix this problem as a matter of escalated
priority.”
Council is rehabilitating Morton Jaffray waterworks under a
$144 million loan facility from China’s Exim Bank to end the city’s erratic
water supplies. The rehabilitation is reportedly almost complete, with the
contractor said to be in the process of moving from the site, but nothing has
changed in terms of water quality.
Council claims to have only received half of the $144
million loan, and the other half is needed to refurbish sewer works so that the
quality of effluent discharged into Lake Chivero is treated to improve the
quality of raw water. A number of old waterpipes are also said to require
urgent replacement. The loan has not been without controversy after council directors
reportedly splurged some of the money on 25 top of the range vehicles, arguing
they were provided for in the contract.
There were also allegations that council bought some items
at inflated prices. Cllr Manyenyeni said there was no instant solution as the
efforts being made were long-term, as the city required new water sources like
Kunzvi Dam, which has been on the cards for decades.
“We also suffer from the issue of having to pollute our raw
water upstream, then harvest it downstream when its quality is at its poorest,”
he said. “We are probably the only city which requires the most number of
chemicals to treat its water.
“We need seven chemicals when other councils can get
quality water with just two chemicals. This brings us to the very current issue
of the quality of water we are supplying for your consumption. The water coming
out of our taps is failing the eye test in some of the areas. There have been
numerous pictures and video clips circulating. This has been reported over the
past three months,” he said.
Cllr Manyenyeni said over the past three years, the city
had increased water supplies from 400 megalitres a day to over 500 megalitres
and that it was targeting 600 megalitres a day after the refurbishment of the
Morton Jaffray waterworks at Lake Chivero.
Asked what residents should do given that borehole and tap
water was deemed unsafe, Environment Management Committee chairperson
Councillor Herbert Gomba said the city would deal with each case.
“We need to investigate the root cause,” he said. “In some
areas it is dirty, but here in Glen Norah the water is clean. It is surprising
that water which is treated at the same point is showing different results in
people’s homes.” Herald
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