Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Municipal Correspondent
AN extensive multi-phase upgrade to improve Harare’s water supply has begun at the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant, with the first phase scheduled for completion within six months and the entire project set to run over five years.
The rehabilitation programme, being implemented through a public-private partnership between Harare City Council, Government and Helcraw Water is expected to substantially increase output of treated water and stabilise supply to Harare and surrounding areas, which have endured years of erratic service delivery.
Morton Jaffray is currently pumping 200-300 megalitres of water per day and is expected to be producing 520 megalitres after the completion of the first phase.
The project, which is already underway, is expected to boost water output and stabilise supply to Harare and surrounding areas, marking a major step towards achieving universal access to potable water in line with Vision 2030.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume yesterday said the scale of the works reflects the urgency of addressing the city’s long-standing water challenges.
“This is a massive upgrade being done in partnership with our stakeholders and the focus is to ensure that we maximise output from this plant,” he said.
“We were previously producing between 250 and 300 megalitres per day, but we are now targeting levels of between 500 and 600 megalitres daily. That will provide a consistent and reliable supply of water to our residents.”
Clr Mafume said the intervention dovetails with the Government’s Call to Action Plan, which prioritises infrastructure rehabilitation, improved service delivery and sustainable urban development.
“These systems were designed for a population of about 500 000 people, yet Harare now has a daytime population exceeding 2,5 million.
“The pressure on infrastructure has been immense, hence this decisive intervention,” he said.
Clr Mafume added that progress has also been recorded in the installation of prepaid water meters, with about 47 000 units having already been rolled out against a target of 100 000, while more than 200 kilometres of ageing pipes are being replaced.
Helcraw Water chief executive Mr Brendon Jere said the investment is extensive, covering the entire water value chain from abstraction and treatment to distribution.
“This is a huge project running into millions of dollars. We are modernising the entire system, pumps, filters, pipelines and distribution networks,” he said.
“We have already procured new pumps that will increase capacity by up to 75 percent and we are also replacing old asbestos and steel pipes with modern PVC infrastructure to improve efficiency and water quality.”
He said the works are being implemented in phases, with the initial phase already underway and expected to run for several months, while full completion will take longer due to the magnitude of the project.
