GWERU City Council has blamed its department of engineering
services for a typhoid outbreak which left eight residents dead and over 2 000
requiring medical assistance in August last year.
According to an internal report released on July 23, human
error by council employees contributed to the outbreak of typhoid.
The service delivery inquiry report was compiled by a
committee led by Councillor Albert Chirau and its members included councillors,
members of the residents’ association and staff from the local authority.
It revealed that council workers failed to disinfect and
properly clean up decommissioned tanks before filling them with water to supply
residents.
The report indicates that the outbreak of typhoid which
resulted in death of eight residents and hospitalisation of 2 191 residents was
as a result of compromised water.
It said in Wards 7, 13, 14, 15 17, 18 and 19 yellowish and
greenish water was coming out of taps.
“The department of engineering workforce confirmed that
there was a last-minute rush to flash out water in the affected areas when the
outbreak was confirmed and the process used to fill up the reservoirs was not
followed rigorously as well as religiously,” the report said.
“There are allegations that the water was pumped into the
decommissioned tanks which were idle for over two decades ago exposing the residents
to compromised water quality. Tanks 1, 2 and 3 in Mkoba 14 were not flashed,
nor scoured and backwashed as demanded by the procedure, a violation of safety
and health of the residents.”
The report noted that chemicals were not applied and those who
were instructed to sweep the tanks as opposed to cleaning, had old protective
wear such as used gumboots, overalls, gloves as well as hard brooms.
“The expected standard and procedure which requires new
materials and protective wear was violated thereby compromising safety of the
residents. The tanks were supposed to be backwashed, scoured, and flashed four
times before the water is released into the distribution system,” the report
said.
“It is the committee’s view that the process was negligent
and raises misconduct on the part of the responsible department head and the
health department which is central to management of water quality; it was
observed that there is no link, relationship or coordination between the two
departments.”
It said the department of health is isolated in water
sampling as the department of engineering services relies on its independent
findings alone to declare water safe for human consumption even though the
former is pivotal in the city’s water quality management process.
The committee recommended that the Town Clerk, Ms Elizabeth
Gwatipedza must further interrogate why decommissioned water reservoirs were
filled with water without following due process. Herald
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