Families to use 500l water per day

The figure translates to two and half 200-litre drums of water a day.
Harare Water director Engineer Christopher Zvobgo on Monday revealed the city had set the maximum limits that an average family of six can use per day as part of the water conservation and zero litter awareness campaign.

“Each household has to use 500 litres per day which is equivalent to 15 cubic metres per month. The immediate way to increase coverage of water supply is to conserve,” he said.

“If we reduce consumption at household level, water would be available to more households.”
No penalties have been set for exceeding the threshold, with the city officials banking on the appreciation of residents that efficient use of water guarantees them continued supplies.

Investigations by this paper have shown that some households are consuming as much as 1 000 litres per day (five drums) which is up to 30 cubic metres per month.
This refers to households that are getting water on a daily basis.
Some households are using municipal water to mould bricks, build, water gardens and lawns.
The recommended World Health Organisation lifeline for an average family is 12 cubic metres per month.

Harare will launch the water and zero litter awareness campaign on Friday as part of efforts to conscientise residents to sparingly use water and to stop indiscriminate disposal of waste.

“We need to conserve water because it is in short supply. We have to reduce consumption to ensure that we all get water,” said Eng Zvobgo.
The Harare City Council is producing on average 620 million litres a day against a huge demand of 1 200 million litres.

The campaign aims to ensure that the little water that is supplied is equitably distributed to all residents on a rotational demand management scheme.
Eng Zvobgo said the city’s major water treatment plant, Morton Jaffray, was constantly breaking down, resulting in water shortages.

Amenities director Mr Dombo Chibanda said the anti-litter campaign seeks to have a cleaner environment for Harare by encouraging residents to stop deliberate littering. The focus on water and litter follows a realisation that a polluted environment leads to water pollution as the litter always finds its way into water bodies.

Environmental Management Agency official Mr Steady Kangata said residents should separate waste at household level with all bio-degradables preserved as manure and other items such as plastic and bottles put in separate bins either for recycling or for municipal collection.
He said residents should not bury garbage such as plastics, tins and toxic materials as these end up polluting ground water sources.