adminshortages in the capital are affecting health, housing and industrial development.
Harare collects monthly water revenue of US$6 million. This means the local authority has to source private funding in the form of loans and grants. The revenue constitutes 60 percent of the total water revenue potential.
Since 2009 only 40km out of the 5 500km pipeline has been replaced, raising fears that the aged water distribution network could crumble any time soon. The average lifespan of the pipes is 10 years yet they have been around for the past 40 years.
The dilapidated water pipeline is causing the loss of up to 60 percent of all water produced at the city’s water production plants.
Harare Water director Eng Christopher Zvobgo on Wednesday presented a paper to the city’s environment management committee outlining challenges and the way forward.
“We have used US$3,9 million to replace 40km of water pipeline since 2009. Most of the pipes are over 50 years in service hence needs replacement,” he said.
The 40km were done using part of the US$17,1 million grant from Government. Part of that grant went towards sewer treatment infrastructure, water production and sewer collection.
Using that funding, water production increased from 330 million litres to 600 million litres a day.
Eng Zvobgo said to date the city has received US$144 million from China, US$17,1 million from Government, US$600 000 from the French Red Cross and another US$600 000 from the International Committee of the Red Cross towards water and sewer rehabilitation.
The City has used US$7 million of its own resources and has received water treatment chemicals support from Unicef.
He said once the US$144 million is fully utilised water production would increase to 740 million litres a day while non-revenue water would be reduced from 300 to 100 million litres a day.
Non-revenue water is water lost through leaks or is not being paid for because of illegal connections.
Eng Zvobgo said because of non-payment of its water bills water supplies to Chitungwiza are categorised under non-revenue water.
Chitungwiza has over two million people.
He suggested that the way forward for Harare was to form a City Taskforce, which would be mandated to source funding for water.
He said the taskforce would among other duties do project management and evaluation, come up with sustainable water tariffs and interact with stakeholders.
The taskforce would help raise the profile of all business to do with water.
Online Reporter