Water shortages hit Ruwa

Blessings Chidakwa Municipality Correspondent
Water shortages have hit Harare’s dormitory town of Ruwa after it decommissioned its major water supply dam, Nora Valley, which dried up early this year due to poor rainfall last season.

Ruwa’s projected daily water demand is nearly 40 megalitres and Nora Valley dam supplies at least half, while the rest comes from Harare.

The town, located 25km east of the capital, has since started installing solar-powered boreholes in some areas including Damafalls and Zimre to mitigate the water crisis.

Plans are afoot to introduce water kiosks in the town as a long term solution to the perennial water challenges.

Town secretary Mr Kumbirai Madanhi said: “We are in the process of drilling quite a number of boreholes in Ruwa.

“We are doing that because we have decommissioned Nora Valley Dam which is dry because of the poor past rainy season.

“We are in the process of drilling boreholes and electrifying some others with solar systems.”

Ruwa is also sitting on a potential health time bomb as it has no landfill and it discharges raw sewage into Ruwa River.