‘Morton Jaffray 90pc complete’

REHABILITATION of Morton Jaffray is 90 percent complete, including the unit that will produce 70 mega litres of water a day, Harare Water director Engineer Hosiah Chisango has said.

Eng Chisango said in an interview that the Morton Jaffray rehabilitation works would cost a total of $55 million upon completion, with the remainder of the $144 million loan from China Export and Import Bank being used on IT equipment and other pump stations.

“The works that remain to be done include replacement of pumping plant at Warren Control, Alexandra Park and Letombo pump stations,” he said. “On the waste water side, the works still to be done include rehabilitation works at Firle and Crowborough.

“To implement the emergency rehabilitation works as scoped in 2009, the city applied for a loan of $250 million. From this, however, we only managed to secure $144 million, which then focused on the water and sewage treatment plants. The water distribution network and sewage collection facilities were not included in the $144 million.”

Eng Chisango said efforts were underway to secure funding for major rehabilitation of the distribution network, which is estimated to cost about $600 million.

He said major works done included replacement of seven intake valves, which control raw water intake from both Lake Chivero and Manyame Dam.

“These valves also enable isolation of sections of the plant so that maintenance works can be carried out on one section while the other one is running, as opposed to a situation where the whole plant is shut down for maintenance to one section,” he said.

“Three clarifiers were completely overhauled. The work involved installation of electrical and mechanical equipment and these will lead to restoration of 65 mega litres a day capacity. This equip- ment was first installed in 1954 and had stopped working around 1990.”

Eng Chisango said the obsolete equipment was replaced with modern equipment and its controls, and 26 filters were also rehabilitated.

The treatment facilities overhauled, he said, have capacity to produce 160 mega litres a day.

“Currently, commissioning of one section with capacity of 70 mega litres a day is in progress,” he said.