By Xolisani Ncube
HARARE City Council says it would be cutting off water supply to suburbs such as Borrowdale for 72 hours a week due to the city’s deteriorating pumping capacity.
Responding to Mabvuku councillor Fibion Kufahakutizvi, acting Harare water director Richard Kunyadini said water supply was now below 300 megalitres per day, with one pump station, Price Edward, now operating two days a week.
“This year, we might be forced to ration water supplies going forward. At the moment, Prince Edward plant is operating at two days a week. This is because of the state of the raw water which has depleted,” Kunyadini said.
“We have completed refurbishment of Avondale treatment plant and we hope to use that station to pump to the northern suburbs. We have also started a programme to reduce water supply to areas like Glen View and Glen Norah, at least switching them off for two to three days so that we could pump to areas like Mabvuku and Tafara.”
Town clerk Hosiah Chisango said as a long-term measure, council resolved to establish a mobile treatment plant.
Ccouncil was also told that treatment chemicals had depleted due to the prevailing foreign currency crisis.
According to availed statistics, Morton Jaffray Waterworks was pumping less than 300 megalitres per day and Prince Edward was pumping 54 megalitres per day.
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Meanwhile, workers in the water department were said to have embarked on a sit-in demanding protective clothing.
