BACTERIA DETECTED IN CITY BOREHOLES

THE Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council (UMSCC) has detected the diarrhoeal-causing Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria in boreholes in 14 suburbs in Harare.

The announcement is a blow as the country is battling a cholera outbreak.

The affected areas are Mt Pleasant, Avondale and Greendale, cholera-prone Budiriro, Hopley, Mbare, Glen View and Waterfalls, Eyecourt, Chitungwiza, Eastlea, Norton and Lyton industry areas.

Tests conducted last year returned results of 100 percent wells in Harare contaminated with E.coli and 20 percent of boreholes also affected.

In a statement, UMSCC said E.coli can cause various illnesses which pose a significant health risk.

“The households and institutions who had their water tested have been informed of the results. They should not drink, cook or wash with untreated water from boreholes or other sources in the listed areas.”

Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association president, Dr Johannes Marisa, said there was a need for a complete overhaul of Harare’s sewer pipes.

“All this culminates from dilapidated sanitation infrastructure which has outlived its lifespan.

“What is needed is the revamping of both the water and sewer systems as a long-term plan.

“Public health is under consequential attack and there is a high probability of increased morbidity and mortality from preventable diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and hepatitis A, among others,” said Dr Marisa.

Harare Residents Trust executive director, Precious Shumba, said underground water and sewer pipes in the old high-density residential areas are dilapidated.

“They are rusty, sand-blocked and leaking in most weak areas resulting in underground water being heavily polluted,” he said.

“The observations and findings of the City Health Department on the contamination of 50 percent of borehole water are on point. They reflect the real situation on the ground.

“The size of the pipes need to be upgraded to reflect the increase in population and illegal settlements.

“Plugging the leakages and illegal connections along the water distribution network is the first step in increasing the amount of water reaching houses connected to the water supply system.”