Prince Edward water works to shut down

Farirai Machivenyika, Senior Reporter

HARARE City Council is expected to shut down Prince Edward water treatment plant near Chitungwiza at the end of next month due to inadequate raw water supplies, the City’s Director of Water, Engineer Phakamile Moyo, has said.

Eng Moyo told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, chaired by Nyanga South legislator, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, that the shutdown will result in loss of 60 mega litres of water per day.

HCC has two water treatment plants, Morton Jaffray and Prince Edward, whose closure will result in Harare and its dormitory town of Chitungwiza, Norton and Ruwa losing about 60 mega litres of water.

Morton Jaffray, the major plant has an installed capacity of producing 614 mega litres per day while for Prince Edward it’s 90 mega litres against the city’s daily demand of approximately 800 mega litres.

Morton Jaffray is supplied by Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame whilst Prince Edward gets water from Harava and Seke Dams.

“At Prince Edward, the raw water is running out and we are expecting to shut it down in August and we are going to lose about 60 mega litres per day because there is no water.

“This makes it urgent that we bring on board, Darwendale dam so that it replaces Prince Edward when we shut it down,” Eng Moyo said.

He added that they were currently producing 350 mega litres per day at Morton Jaffray due to ongoing refurbishment works of its equipment.

“We have introduced what we call demand management where we are saying every resident of Harare should get a minimum of two days of water supply per week,” he said.

Eng Moyo said the City could also not commercially account for 60 percent of its treated water due to old meters.

“Non-revenue water is water we are not able to account for. 60 percent of that water is commercial losses and it stems from our metering system. Our meters are old and are either stuck or not accurate. That’s why you have people complaining of their water bills which are estimates.”

Eng Moyo said studies had shown that meters lose their accuracy by 20 percent when they are five years old yet most meters in Harare were over 30-years-old.

He also said they had submitted their requirement of US$7 million to Treasury for addressing the issue in the short to medium term while also raising water production to around 510 mega litres a day.

Cde Mandiwanzira urged the Council to find ways of partnering the private sector in increasing water supplies.

“The council should think of ways to partner with the private sector or establish a stand-alone entity that deals with issues of water supply,” he said.