Norton to build a US$40 million water treatment plant

George Maponga in Masvingo

Norton Town Council is planning to build a US$40 million water treatment plant to end recurrent water shortages that are affecting the town.
The local authority relies on supplies from the City of Harare. The town council is receiving 6 megalitres from Harare City daily against demand of 24 megalitres forcing the local authority to augment supplies with underground water.

However, underground water has its disadvantages chiefly being potential for contamination, especially by radons (radioactive gases).

Speaking on the sidelines of a workshop for local authorities organised by the Radiation Authority of Zimbabwe at a Masvingo hotel, Norton Town Council deputy director (Engineering Services) Engineer Kurai Baureni said feasibility studies on the planned water treatment plant have not yet been conducted.

“We get 6 megalitres of water daily from Harare City Council against a demand of 24 megalitres,” said Engineer Baureni.

“This scenario forces us to try to complement with underground water which can be potentially contaminated with radons generation. Industrial effluent that goes into our sewer treatment plant has potential for generating radons as well as the products of the sewer treatment plant, the decomposition of the sewer treatment plant, the sludge as well has the potential for generating radons.”

Norton will draw water for treatment at its planned plant from Lake Chivero.