Dry days ahead – Harare warns residents

by | Oct 6, 2021 | Local News | 0 comments

 

Pretty Manyewe

The City Council of Harare has scaled down water production at Prince Edward Water Treatment plant, a move which will worsen the water challenges currently being faced by residents.

Prince Edward Water Treatment plant is the plant which services some parts of Chitungwiza and suburbs like Hatfield, Msasa Park, it draws its water from Harava Dam and Seke Dam.

In a statement, City Spokesperson Michael Chideme said they do not have sufficient raw materials and chemicals needed in the water treatment process.

“Council has reduced water treatment days at Prince Edward Dam from seven to three days. Production will be 60 million litres per day during the three-day production period.

The reduction follows depletion of raw water resources at Seke which is now empty and Harava Dam which is now at 35.9 % and expected to last only six weeks. Production levels to be reviewed when it rains,” said Chideme.

Early July this year, The Herald reported that; “Two dams that supply Harare city with water had dried up at a time when the council did not have enough resources to treat water at Prince Edward Dam.”

However, a few days later the City Council reassured the residents that water supplies would start to normalize.

This has become the norm for the residents as the Council continues to fail to deliver on its promises.

They promised the situation would get better and five months on they are announcing the scaling down of water production, which is a self-contradiction.

Residents continue to question if their rates and levies fees are being used appropriately and why the Council has not devised methods to permanently rectify water problems in Harare.