Govt helps procure water chemical

GOVERNMENT will assist councils in acquiring aluminium sulphate which is used in water treatment.

Most local authorities are understood to have limited stocks of the chemical.

Chinhoyi Municipality spokesperson Mr Tichaona Mlauzi yesterday said they had started receiving constant supplies of the chemical.

“We are now getting five tonnes supply, which lasts for about six days. However, our requirements are 30 tonnes per month, meaning we are continuously getting supplies every week,” he said.

Mr Mlauzi, however, said Government should increase the supplies to ensure adequate stocks.

“The five tonnes we are getting defies our stock order levels. Our optimum level is 30 tonnes, which leaves us with stock order level of one week’s supply.

“Under normal circumstances, we should order after every three weeks in order to have our levels back to normal of 30 tonnes. We should have one week’s supply as buffer stock,” he said.

Town Clerks Forum secretary-general Mr Shangwe Mavesera - who is also Bindura town clerk - said local authorities will continue to engage Government until the situation normalises.

“In Bindura, we are currently relying on hand-to-mouth basis. Chemicals are still not yet adequate as most of our traditional suppliers do not have stocks.

“However, being cognisant of the current situation facing our country.

“We are currently crafting proposals which we want to table before the Ministry of Local Government (Public Works and National Housing) for discussions on possible solutions to avert this challenge,” he said.

Most local authorities are concerned by the acute shortage of aluminium sulphate.

They say under normal circumstances they are supposed to have stocks in excess of three months.

Worryingly, at one point last month, Chinhoyi Municipality was left with a 10 days’ worth of stock.

The shortage of water treatment chemicals is being blamed on foreign currency shortages.