Chitungwiza Municipality urged to invest in water infrastructure

THE Harare Residents Trust (HRT) has urged Chitungwiza Municipality to invest more in water infrastructure as most pipes are too old, thereby affecting the quality of tap water residents are receiving.

HRT recently carried out a water and sanitation barometer survey in St Mary’s, Seke Unit M, Chigovanyika, Zengeza 4 and Seke Unit D which examined the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of the water being availed to residents.

“The Chitungwiza Municipality needs to invest more in the rehabilitation of the water infrastructure as the current water infrastructure is too old, and they also need to replace galvanised pipe with poly pipes.

“It is because the galvanised pipes accumulate rust when water is disconnected but when water is restored they carry rusty water into residents’ households, thus compromising on the quality of drinking water,” said the report.

Many residents receive water two to three times a week making them to resort to borehole and other water sources.

“Residents rely on tap water supplied by the City of Harare, bush pumps, boreholes, unprotected and shallow wells.

“However, the boreholes are lacking maintenance as all the boreholes in Seke Unit M are no longer functional and residents are getting water from shallow wells around the suburb, which pose serious health risks since there is always sewage flowing day in, day out.

“There is need for constant quality assurance services at the different points along the water distribution network,” said the report.

Residents lamented the billing system which was not in tandem with the water supply situation.