Suburban
Suburban Reporter
RESIDENTS from Harare’s northern suburbs have laughed off the announcement made by the City of Harare this week that it has resolved to ration water saying it was funny that the municipality wants to ration water which some of them have not had for several years even decades.
On Monday, Harare announced that it will be rationing water because of the challenges it is facing to secure water treatment chemicals.
The residents laughed off the notice saying how could the municipality ration something that was has not been available to its ratepayers for years running into decades for some suburbs.
“Water rationing… when so many of us have not had water in years, can’t ration more than that, what a laugh,” said one resident.
On Monday this week, the City of Harare said it had resolved to ration water as purification of water at its treatment plants remains suppressed due to unreliable supply of chemicals.
Production at Morton Jaffray Water Works currently stands at 136 megalitres out of an available capacity of 450ML while at Prince Edward council is producing only 78ML. Harare requires at least 600 megalitres a day.
In an update on the water situation in the city, the municipality said its local and foreign suppliers of water purification chemicals were facing challenges hence the low water production at the treatment plants.
“The Environment Management Committee has resolved that council rations water in the wake of suppressed water production. This is to ensure equitable distribution of water in the city.
“Our local aluminium sulphate supplier is facing production challenges while the delivery of the imported granular substitute has also been inconsistent thereby affecting portable water production and subsequent equitable distribution to residents of Harare,” the city said in the update.
The city said it received four loads of imported granular aluminium sulphate on Sunday with a further 16 loads still on their way from Beira to Harare.
“All efforts are being made to work out sustainable solution to the problems. Residents are therefore encouraged to use availed supplies conservatively all the time they receive water.
All inconveniences caused are sincerely regretted,” said the municipality.
Residents from several of the city’s suburbs such as Greendale, Avondale, Marlborough, Mainway Meadows in Waterfalls, Glen Norah, Glen View confirmed that they do not have council tap water.
