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About $500 000 is needed for the resumption of construction work at the Lupane water treatment plant, viewed as a long term solution to poor water supply in Matabeleland North’s provincial capital. With construction taking place at Lupane State University, houses and Government offices, borehole water is not enough to meet the needs of a growing town.
Gwayi Catchment manager Mr Fortune Musoni, from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), said construction at the plant, which is nearing completion, has since stopped.
“Construction of the water treatment plant is almost 90 percent complete and we need about $500 000 to complete it. At the moment there is no activity at the site because there is no money,” Mr Musoni said.
The $2 million treatment plant is situated at Bubi-Lupane Dam, which was officially commissioned last year.
Mr Musoni said the seven kilometre pipeline linking the treatment plant and the town has already been laid.
“All the relevant structures including electricity are there and we are left with a few final touches.
“We need to finish the mixing chamber, sedimentation tanks and filters. Should we get funding, the entire project will be done within four months,” he said.
Mr Musoni said the borehole water supply falls short of meeting demand.
He said that the boreholes often broke down and said Zinwa has since replaced mono pumps with submersible pumps that last longer but have low output.
“That explains why the treatment plant should be completed soon,” said Mr Musoni.
He, however, said after the completion of the treatment plant there would be a need to construct two more big reservoirs in addition to the existing one in order to extend water reticulation.
“According to our bids for 2014, we need $2,5 million for water supply in Lupane. We need to construct two by two 500 cubic metre-reservoirs in addition to the 1 000 cubic metre reservoir we have,” said Mr Musoni.
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