Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
The water clarity in Lake Chivero has improved due to the rains experienced during the rainy season.
ZimParks senior terrestrial ecologist Ms Diana Marewangepo confirmed this in an interview.
During a tour of the Ramsar sites recently, Ms Marewangepo said in December last year, the lake faced an ecological crisis.
“Right now, as you can see, it is as clean as it can be, but in December, it was a blue-green algae or cyanobacteria.
“So when we now say algae blue, that is when there is an increase in concentration of the cyanobacteria and it becomes very thick.
“The danger with that is some cyanobacteria tend to produce toxins, which are toxic,” he said.
Commenting on the state of the water, City of Harare spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama said the water is treated when it reaches their treatment plant until it is 99,99 percent clean.
“We treat it and we have nowhere else to get water. We take water throughout the year at Lake Chivero.
“The rains neutralise whatever is there, but whichever the condition of the water, we treat the water. That is why we use as many chemicals as possible to purify our water.
“That is why we go and take our tap water and test it. It will be clean and meet the SARS and WHO standards.”
