HARARE residents should brace for more water shortages as the city council is struggling to secure treatment chemicals, with council operating its treatment plants at around a half of their designed capacity.
Depending on where people live and how much money they have, those without boreholes and in areas that have intermittent supply, sometimes just one day a week, or no supply at all, have to find their own.
There are companies that will load bulk tanks; there are enterprising youths selling a 20-litre bucket for US$1.
Some fetch water from unprotected wells. Public boreholes are growing in number since the Government stepped in and included suburban boreholes in its rural village water programme.
Harare’s major water treatment plant, Morton Jaffray, has a capacity of about 700 mega litres a day but it has been running at less than half that capacity for several years.
The most affected high-density suburbs, which join all low and medium density suburbs across northern and eastern Harare, include Glen Norah, St Martins, Warren Park, Mbare, Kuwadzana, Crowborough, Mabvuku and Tafara among others that have spent weeks without receiving water.
In a statement, council said residents should brace for more water shortages as there was suppressed water production at water treatment plants.
“The City of Harare would like to advise its valued customers and stakeholders that due to suppressed water production at Morton Jaffray and Prince Edward water treatment plants, most residential areas have been affected resulting in insignificant to no inflows towardscustomers.
“The problem has arisen from challenges within the water treatment chemicals supply chain and compounded by recent inclement weather patterns in raw material source countries.
“As efforts are being made to rectify the deficiencies, our valued stakeholders are advised to use the available commodity sparingly. The city regrets all inconveniences,” council said.
The local authority has also advised residents that the recommissioning of the Morton Jaffray treatment plant was in progress after it was shut down on Saturday.
“One load of liquid aluminium sulphate was received at 6.10am on Saturday with four more loads of granular aluminium sulphate expected in the course of the day,” said the local authority.
“Aluminium sulphate is one of the primary treatment chemicals used to coagulate and deposit small particles swirling in the water.
“The initial target flow for Morton Jaffray is 200 mega litres and 65 mega litres for Prince Edward. The target flow will still affect a number of suburbs which will receive minimum to zero flow until more chemicals are received.” – The Herald
