adminPeter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
REFURBISHMENT of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant expected to begin next month is set to ease water problems facing Harare. The council secured a US$144 million loan from a Chinese Export Import Bank and has already acquired material to be used for the refurbishment of the 60-year-old plant that is producing only 400 megalitres of water per day.
The Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi yesterday said after the refurbishment the plant would operate at full capacity and produce an average of 640 megalitres per day.
“The immediate impact of the loan would be to increase water treatment capacity by 140 mega litres from the current average capacity of 600 megalitres a day,” Dr Mahachi told a delegation from Sinosure, a Chinese insurance company that insured the US$144 million loan.
The delegation led by chairman, Mr Chen Zuofu, was also taken on a tour of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant to familiarise themselves with the water treatment works.
Dr Mahachi said the upgrading of the plant would also see the plugging of leaks on pipes connected to the water treatment plant and installations of water flow metres to gauge the amount of water reaching the residents. He said some of the money would be used towards the digitalisation of water distribution with all reservoirs being linked to Morton Jaffray by satellite.
“The water and sanitation project would be implemented in three phases with the first stage targeted at Morton Jaffary, which will get US$25 million,” he said.
“Phase two of the project will cost US$51 million and includes Crowborough Sewerage Works and Prince Edward Water Works,” he said.
This, he said, would increase output by 50 percent to 100MGL per day and ensure uninterrupted water supplies to Chitungwiza, Mabvuku, Tafara, Ruwa, Manresa, Hatfield and Cranborne among other areas.
Online Reporter