Water back in Harare taps

Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent

WATER supplies to Greater Harare were expected to be restored on Monday following the near completion of major repair works at Warren Control, which was shut down on Friday after major pipe bursts.

The emergency shutdown of the key distribution centre disrupted water supplies to the central business district and most suburbs in the capital, leaving thousands of households and businesses without running water over the weekend.

In an update, the City of Harare said the maintenance and repair works were now almost complete and residents should expect water to start flowing from their taps later in the day.

Council spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama said teams had been working around the clock since Friday to restore normal supplies.

“Today I spent hours at Warren Control, where dozens of our staff have been working 24 hours a day since Friday to repair the damaged pipes,” he said.

“We experienced major pipe bursts, which required meticulous work to restore water distribution to residents.”

Mr Gama said the local authority had initially expected the repairs to be completed by midnight on Sunday, but additional technical challenges delayed the process.

“Initially, we expected the works to be completed by midnight yesterday, but a few other technical issues came up,” he said.

“But I am happy to inform residents that we have finally overcome the hurdles and the teams are putting the final touches to the mammoth task they started on Friday.”

He said engineers and supporting staff had worked tirelessly to ensure that the normal water supply is restored as soon as possible while guaranteeing durable repairs.

“Our engineers and supporting staff have been working tirelessly to ensure normal supply is restored at the earliest possible time, while guaranteeing lasting repairs,” said Mr Gama.

He said the restoration process was delicate and had to follow laid-down procedures to safeguard both manpower and infrastructure.

“The restoration of normal water supply is a delicate process, requiring laid down procedures to protect the safety of manpower and infrastructure,” Mr Gama said.

He commended the engineers, support staff and the officer in charge of Warren Control, Senior Superintendent Chirenje, for the work done during the emergency repairs.

Mr Gama also thanked residents for their patience and understanding following days of dry taps across Greater Harare. The expected restoration of water supplies is set to bring relief to residents in the CBD and surrounding suburbs who have been affected since last week.