New equipment to increase Harare water supply

Gender and Community Editor

Water supply to most of Harare’s suburbs is likely to improve as the country purchases water purification equipment worth US$9,3 million from Germany.

The equipment will boost pumping capacity and water pressure at pump stations such as Alexandra Park, Letombo and Waterfalls.

The city is currently producing 200 megalitres of water, which is 124 megalitres short of the available capacity at Warren Control.

Harare City Council acting director for water, Engineer Edmore Chawasemerwa, told The Sunday Mail that the new equipment will minimise the frequency of breakdowns which has been leading to intermittent water cuts.

“The new valves and pumpsets will improve the reliability of water transmission to the various distribution reservoirs. Presently, the risk of breakdowns is too high and disastrous. Currently, the available capacity (of Warren Control) is 324 megalitres per day and is threatened by high risk of breakdown,” Eng Chawasemerwa said.

Announcing the development during the post-Cabinet media briefing last week, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the purchase of the purification equipment, which will naturally complement ongoing borehole drilling and rehabilitation programmes, would “significantly boost the pumping capacity and water pressure at several Harare pump stations, including Alexandra Park, Letombo and Waterfalls”.

Already in the country are four variable speed drive starters (VSDs), 15 x 700ml valves and 24x 600mm valves.

The VSDs serve the purpose of starting the pumpsets and to control the pumping speed to match inflow with outflow, thereby reducing probability of water starvation and mechanical damage to the pumps.

Further, the valves serve as an isolation purpose whereby each pump is installed with one isolation valve at the suction and another on the discharge side.

These will allow for repairs and maintenance works to be carried out without the need to shut down the whole pump station as is currently the case.

Government is actively trying to increase the supply of potable water to various local authorities around the country.