Norton earmarks $20m for water treatment plant

NORTON Town Council has set aside $20 million for the construction of a water treatment plant, which is expected to wean it off from Harare City Council water.

The local authority receives at least five megalitres of the precious liquid per day from Harare, which, however, falls short of meeting demand from a growing population.

In an interview last week, Norton Acting Town Secretary Mr Steven Tendaupenyu said construction of the water treatment plant would start by end of next month.

“We have always relied on water from the City of Harare and now we intend to construct a water treatment plant, which will see improved access to enough safe and potable water by the residents,” he said.

“Accessibility of potable water to our residents is something we prioritise; henceforth, by end of next month, the contractor will be on site for the construction of this water treatment plant.”

Council, Mr Tendaupenyu said, will also rehabilitate some of its water systems.

“We get at least five megalitres of water daily from the City of Harare, but the water is not enough to meet demands by our residents.

“Norton also has old water pipes, of which some are leaking. This means that we cannot account for the water that we receive daily as some is also lost on the way.”

The Harare City Council recently confirmed that the water it pumps into residents’ homes might not be safe for human consumption.

It also advised consumers to exercise caution until such a time that total quality was assured.