adminInnocent Ruwende in Kadoma
EQUIPMENT worth millions of dollars bought by Harare City Council for the upgrading of the city’s water system under the US$144 million China Import and Export Bank loan will start arriving into the country this month. In an interview at the city’s councillors induction workshop underway here, Harare Water director Engineer Christopher Zvobgo yesterday said the equipment would arrive in batches with the construction equipment expected first.
“We expect construction equipment such as excavators to arrive at the end of this month. The other equipment might take some time as they are being manufactured according to our specifications,” said Eng Zvobgo. “We bought the equipment from European companies based in China.
We want to change cast iron impellers and replace them with steel impellers which last for at least 15 years.”
He said cast iron impellers have a short life-span as they are changed after every six months. Eng Zvobgo said the 25 Chinese engineers who are in the country to implement the programme have already started work and were carrying out final designs so that when the equipment arrives it will fit without problems.
“Some of them are working on the construction of warehouses at Morton Jaffray in which the equipment will be stored when it arrives,” he said.
“We are working with phases starting with Morton Jaffray, Warren Control and the Firle Sewer Works.” Eng Zvobgo said they were expecting to complete the first phase in a year’s time with the other phases taking two years.
The project, he said, is expected to ease the City’s perennial water problems but the construction of other water sources was key in ending the water woes. He urged residents to use water sparingly considering the peak water demand period.
Online Reporter