Zvishavane Town Council improves its water supply

A water treatment plant

ZVISHAVANE Town Council has made great strides in improving the town’s water supply, utilising over US$800 000 in devolution funds to upgrade the Ngezi Water Treatment Plant.

The upgrade has expanded the plant’s capacity, ensuring residents have access to clean and safe drinking water.

The devolution and decentralisation agenda is a key pillar of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), aimed at promoting economic growth and development through a community-based and people-centered approach.

This initiative aligns with the national vision of achieving an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income society by 2030, by supporting high-impact community development project.

Speaking during a Midlands Provincial media tour, Zvishavane town engineer Munyaradzi Mageja said the council has been utilising devolution funds since 2019. Initial efforts focused on rehabilitating filters at the water treatment plant and acquiring essential equipment.

“We are in the second cycle of filter rehabilitation to maintain water quality and increase raw water uptake. However, raw water turbidity remains high, reaching around 500 units due to rainfall and activities by artisanal miners in our weir,” he said.

Despite these challenges, Eng Mageja said the council has considerably improved water quality, with no major setbacks since 2019. Last year, the local authority installed a new pump, increasing the town’s pumping capacity from an average of 16 megalitres per day to approximately 23-24 megalitres.

“Our next phase is expansion, starting with increasing raw water intake, followed by improvements in sedimentation and filtration,” he said.

Eng Mageja said there is the need to enhance high-lift pumping capacity to the ground reservoir and improve the pipeline delivering water to the town.

“We are implementing this in phases. The first step, increasing raw water intake, has been completed. The next stage is expanding treatment capacity, followed by improving the delivery system to town,” he explained.

On the issue of power supply, Eng Mageja mentioned that the treatment plant benefits from a stable power line that is rarely affected by load shedding.

However, the council is exploring alternative energy sources and is in discussions with a Chinese company constructing a solar farm in the area to power the plant using solar energy. A previous plan to secure a dedicated power line from Mimosa Mine was abandoned due to high costs, with consultants estimating the project at US$500 000.

At the moment, the treatment plant operates with four high-lift and five low-lift pumps. However, about 19 percent of treated water is lost before reaching residents due to vandalism along the 18-kilometre pipeline supplying the town.

Zvishavane acting town secretary, Mr Max Mugandani, cited illegal activities by artisanal miners as a major challenge, as they use water from sources that feed into the river, negatively affecting water quality.

“Vandalism is also a major concern, with people tampering with valves along the pipeline to divert water for personal use, particularly for their cattle,” he said.

Mr Mugandani also revealed that the council spends heavily on water treatment, using seven tonnes of aluminum sulphate per week, a costly necessity to maintain water quality. Due to pumping deficits, the council operates daily to meet residents’ water demands.

Local residents have welcomed the improvements, with Mr Themba Banda from Council Park suburb commending the local authority for its consistent water supply.

“These upgrades have made a real difference. We now have a more reliable water supply, which is essential for our daily lives,” he said.