Gweru needs $30m for sewer

Sukoluhle Ndlovu Midlands Correspondent
GWERU City Council requires $30 million to overhaul its sewer system, which is failing to meet the demand of the city’s growing population. The city has two sewer plants Cambridgeshire and Outfall. Outfall is not functioning at the moment. Gweru Town Clerk, Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza, confirmed the development in an interview on Tuesday. She said the sewer system was over 50 years old. It is now obsolete and is constantly blocked.

“The city’s sewer system is very old now and cannot accommodate the ever increasing population resulting in frequent blockages. Outfall treatment plant is currently not working. The only treatment taking place is settling of solid waste. About $19 million is needed to rehabilitate the plant as well as increasing its treatment capacity,” she said.

Ms Gwatipedza said the local authority also needs an additional $12 million to upgrade the Cambridgeshire sewer plant.

“Rehabilitation at the Cambridgeshire plant is currently underway with one out of three ponds having been rehabilitated,” she added.

Ms Gwatipedza said that the local authority engaged Germany International Zimbabwe (GIZ) to do the sewer rehabilitation project at the Cambridgeshire sewer plant.

“We have engaged GZI, which has so far poured in over $50 000 towards the ponds rehabilitation project.”