The government of Zimbabwe is set to urgently start the construction of Manyame and Warren Control Pump stations in two months’ time in a quest to elevate water shortages in Harare and its surrounding towns.
This is after the government allocated US $9.3m following a report that row water from Lake Chivero is not good for human consumption and it is expensive to treat. The report further stated that pumping water from Lake Manyame would reduce the usage of aluminium sulphate by 26.8%, consequently reducing the cost of water treatment as aluminium sulphate is the main chemical in the water treatment process.
July Moyo, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works said that the installation of appropriate water meters will be undertaken concurrently with the cited works to keep up with the scheduled timeframe.
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Lasting solution to water problems in Harare
With 100 million liters a day, Harare is only producing 20% of its daily demand water averaging 450 million liters a day, because it does not have an adequate supply of chemicals to treat the water.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that to provide long-lasting solutions to water problems in Harare, the government ought to allocate enough foreign currency to Chemplex Corporation to import water treatment chemicals.
She also called for the provision of loan guarantees for various water and sanitation projects to be undertaken by local authorities using various project procurement methods that suit their specific requirements. Furthermore, she needs hefty fines to be imposed on polluters of water sources.
The government is also set to assist in the rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray Water Works and the pumping of water from Lake Manyme, which has the capacity to pump 600 megalitres.
