Chronicle EditorSukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
GWANDA town’s water supply system requires a total overhaul to ensure constant supply.
Residents have expressed concern over the municipality’s capacity to manage water systems as water cuts continue to dog the mining town.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) handed over the management of water treatment plants to Gwanda and Beitbridge municipalities following a Government directive.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka presided over the historic handover ceremony of water treatment plants and water affairs to the two local authorities in line with the Second Republic’s devolution agenda.
Facilitating higher quality water and sanitation services is a top priority as the country moves towards attaining an upper- middle income status by 2030.
Residents have complained that ever since the municipality has taken over management of water, the town’s water woes have intensified and suggested that Zinwa should chip in and offer technical support to the council.
Gwanda Municipality environmental management works committee chairperson, Clr Thulani Moyo said the biggest challenge council is facing was that it had inherited a water treatment plant which was operating with obsolete equipment.
“We have taken over the water treatment plant but the main challenge we are facing is that some of the pumps and motors are not working.
The treatment plant should be operating with duty pump and a standby pump for every pump station but we have one pump at each point which isn’t even working properly,” he said.
“That’s why we constantly have disruptions in pumping water as we don’t have a reliable pumping system.
Along the water pipe system, we need release valves which can help to ease pressure that builds up in the pipes.
The absence of the valves is causing pressure to build up in the pipes which then causes bursts of pipes and that disrupts water supply.”
He said council did not have funds to upgrade the town’s water system.
Clr Moyo said plans were underway for council to approach Government and other partners to secure funds.
He said once the water system has been upgraded, residents can be assured of reliable water supply.
Clr Moyo said council recently received $77 million from Government which was used to purchase water treatment chemicals, pipes and a service vehicle among other equipment to help council with water management.
He said prolonged power cuts being experienced in the town were also causing a challenge in pumping water.
“The town has been experiencing severe power cuts of late which has been disrupting water supply.
In order to pump water from the supply dam to the water treatment plant and to residents we need electricity. In order for the tanks to be full the system needs three days of undisrupted water supply.
With the loadshedding being experienced it then becomes difficult to pump enough water,” Clr Moyo said.
A five megalitre reservoir which was constructed in the town is also set to ease water challenges in the town.
The reservoir has leakages and council has failed to address them due to financial challenges.
Under the National Development Strategy 1, the Government targets to increase the proportion of people with access to potable water to 90 percent by 2025 from the current 78 percent . — @DubeMatutu
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