Charlotte Musarurwa
Harare City Council is failing to control the water crisis plaguing the city and its satellite towns, largely because of a ballooning population, a senior council official has claimed.

Speaking at a dinner hosted for the media in Harare last Friday, council spokesman Mr Leslie Gwindi said lack of large-scale investment in water projects had also contributed to the dire state of affairs.
He said the existing water infrastructure had become irreparable and could only support one million people. It was, however, being stretched to cater for a population of more than three million.

“There are things that the public should note. The system and infrastructure is supposed to cater for a population of one million, yet now we have over three million,” he said.

“No big investment has been made to upgrade the infrastructure in the last three decades, and council cannot do anything as well.”

Council chamber secretary Ms Josephine Matare, on behalf of Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi, advocated water conservation.
“Traditionally, water shortages have been met by increasing the supply capacity, but as water sources move further away, the capital and operational costs required to overcome the complex engineering challenges of design and construction call for a different paradigm. It brings the need for conservation,” she said.

“The question we have to address today is: How can Harare’s water resources be managed and developed to guarantee its security to all residents, promote growth and alleviate poverty in a responsible manner?

“Harare and its satellite towns are in acute distress owing to the water supply which has been outstripped by demand. The question cannot be answered by technical solutions alone.” For several months now most parts of Harare and Chitungwiza have experienced severe water shortages.

Last week, council announced that a Norton raw sewage discharge near the city’s water abstraction point had precipitated a week-long shortage of the precious liquid.

It indicated increased pollution of Lake Manyame was also part of the problem. Already Harare and Chitungwiza are grappling with a typhoid outbreak which has affected more than 220 people within a week.
An urban planning expert, who preferred anonymity, yesterday said Government should move swiftly to address the water crisis.

“I think Cabinet should make this a top priority, considering that typhoid cases are already emerging.
“The issue is critical to the economy.
“It should be addressed as soon as possible,” said the expert.