adminway of a council resolution.
Councillors now want the city management to acquire quality plant and equipment with part of the loan.
Part of the money will be used to rollout a pre-paid water metering system on a pilot project.
Clr Girisoni Mandere raised the quality issue during last Thursday’s full council meeting when he asked why the Chinese had set conditions for the procurement of plant and equipment for water and sewer rehabilitation solely from the China Machinery and Equipment Company.
He claimed evidence had shown that some equipment from China was substandard.
However, he was reminded by fellow councillors that with due diligence, the city could buy the best equipment from China, adding that the quality “depends with what you order.”
“Council accepts a loan of US$144 425 947 from China Eximbank for the importation of machinery and equipment from China Machinery and Equipment for the urgent rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure,” reads part of last week’s full council minutes.
The immediate impact of the loan facility, according to Harare Water director Engineer Christopher Zvobgo, would be to increase water treatment capacity by 140 megalitres from the current average of 600 mega litres a day.
Harare and its surrounding towns of Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Epworth and Norton require 1 200 megalitres daily.
Sewer treatment capacity would be raised from 36 megalitres to 200 megalitres, while monthly water revenue would increase from US$6 million to US$10 million.
Documents show that part of the loan will be used to install 1 000 pre-paid water meters on a pilot scheme in the Avenues area.
All city households will also be installed with new water meters to replace the old ones, most of which are 20-years-old.
Should the pilot scheme be successful, all residents would then have the option of having a pre-paid meter or being fitted with new post-paid meters.
The Oddis Plant adjacent to Morton Jaffray Waterworks would be commissioned and provide an additional 40 megalitres of water.
This is enough to feed all of Harare’s southern suburbs daily.
There will also be plugging of leaks on pipes connected to Morton and installation of water meters.
The city is failing to account for 200 megalitres of water daily, which is probably being used by residents not connected or registered with council.
Some of the money will go towards the digitalisation of water distribution with all reservoirs being linked to Morton Jaffray by satellite.
The system will allow engineers to immediately gauge pressure and establish which reservoirs have enough water or are in need of additional supplies.
The water and sanitation project would be implemented in three phases with the first stage targeted at Morton Jaffray, which will get US$25 million.
A revamp of the sewer treatment plants will result in improved quality of sewer disposal and lead to reduction in water treatment costs.
Phase two of the project would cost US$51 million and includes Crowborough Sewage Works and Prince Edward Water Works.
Upgrading of the Prince Edward Plant will increase output by 50 percent to 100 megalitres per day and ensure uninterrupted supplies to Chitungwiza, Mabvuku, Tafara, Ruwa, Manresa, Hatfield and Cranborne among other areas.
Sewer treatment at Crowborough will rise from the installed capacity of 52 megalitres to 100 megalitres a day.
The plant has been down for five years.
Harare, which uses US$2 million monthly on water treatment chemicals, consumes 60 percent of national aluminum imports.
Firle Sewer Plant, which presently treats 34 megalitres of sewer, will be boosted to 200 megalitres.
The loan, which attracts three percent interest per annum, will be repaid over nine years.
In the first four years, the city will service the interest and then thereafter repay the principal amount loaned.
Online Reporter