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Water barometer
Harare Residents' Trust (HRT)
August 17, 2012

Over the past week the water situation in Harare has not changed much as most residential suburbs in the Harare have gone for more than three weeks without running water. The Harare City Council has been giving excuses on the provision of water particularly in most residential areas. This development is against a background of residents receiving summons from the City of Harare for non payment of rates yet they are not providing the basic services to the people. The HRT is concerned that council continues to demand high rates yet still fails to provide the essential services. The City of Harare has so far failed to address the water challenges affecting the citizenry. The city fathers should put in place concrete, practical and realistic mechanisms to address the water challenges that have been haunting the residents of Harare. The recent pronouncements by the Harare City Council as quoted in Daily News (10 August 2012) admitting that there were no short, medium and long term plans in place to address the water challenges being experienced. City Spokesman Lesley Gwindi was also quoted saying the City lacked the capacity to provide water to citizens, meaning there council is technically bankrupt to emerge with solutions and the policymaking capacity is being questioned here. It is time for a full disclosure of what is really happening in the water sector. The HRT therefore calls for Central Government to come up with practical solutions to avoid the repeated outbreaks of water borne diseases that have been experienced since August 2008, which led to the death of nearly 4 000 people owing to cholera, a primitive disease by all standards. The local authority and Central Government have to widely consult and bring to an end the suffering of the citizens due to water issues, thereby avoiding the unnecessary loss of lives.

Below is a snapshot of the state of water provision in the various suburbs in Harare as provided by HRT Community Coordinators who cover the respective suburbs:

1. Waterfalls: Residents in areas Uplands, Picnic Park, Hilton Park, Shortson and Cheviot still experience water shortages as they are on high ground. Tap water is received twice a week. Residents rely on household wells. The borehole at Uplands Shopping Centre is pumping dirty water. Sometimes there is no water at all as some of the wells are running dry. There are two boreholes in the area at Uplands and Cheviot Shopping Centres. The charges from the City of Harare are not commensurate with the amount of water being consumed.

2. Mbare National: In some parts there is no water. There is a burst water pipe in the Mbare Beatrice Cottages along Mbirimi Road and Shato Road. Residents at number 8 Barbra Tredgold Circle and surrounding households are fetching water from Cairns Food in the industrial area in Ardbennie because of low pressure of water. At the Corner of Ruredzo Makoni and Fourth Street there is a burst water pipe and the City Council has repaired it but within a week the pipe burst again. The City Council's Water Department workers have not replaced the aged burst pipes. In addition, residents' from Beatrice Cottages are now fetching water from a water tank along Waterfalls Avenue and some will be doing their laundry at the tanks which makes the water unsafe to drink. Hatfield residents receive water twice a week.

3. Borrowdale: Residents had no tap water from the City of Harare for the whole month of July 2012. Water was only received on 13 August from the early hours of the morning to about 10 am but it was only a trickle. This could have been due to leakages as was evident on Bar Grove Road where water was flowing into Sugar Loaf Road. Water stored in swimming pools had dried up as it was being used for hygienic uses in bathrooms and laundry purposes. Those near Umwinsdale and Manyonga rivers would draw water from these rivers or even do their laundry there. Residents in Carrick Creigh without boreholes have a raw deal as there are no nearby rivers. Residents who have capital are drilling their own boreholes but a common borehole would be needed by all as some residents have resorted to buying water or alternatively resort to using the unclean river water.

4. Hatcliffe: Residents on higher ground have not received water for the last three months but received some water on the 15-16th of August. They have relied on UNICEF-drilled boreholes or wells near the stream.

5. Mount Pleasant and Avondale: Water supplies have been erratic and this needs to be improved by Harare City Council as residents do not have any other source except to buy the water from private suppliers, increasing their expenses on water.

6. Greendale, Mandara, Highlands and Chisipite: Water supplies are erratic here. This is now the sixth week without water supplies. Residents were used to getting water two to three days a week but now only one day as it resumed on the 13 August 2012 for only for four hours. Residents from Greendale and Mandara are fetching water from only one borehole at Greendale Family Health Service along Grove Road while others are getting assistance from well wishers such as churches and residents with drilled boreholes. The Methodist Church in Zimbabwe at Kamfinsa in Greendale is helping residents with water.

8. Highlands: Residents are being assisted by well wishers and Net One drilled a borehole at Runnville Shops in Highlands. Some residents are getting water from their neighbours as well.

9. Chisipite: Residents in this community are relying on those who had boreholes in their backyards. There is no other source of getting water except from these well wishers.

10. Highfield: Water is available everyday but pressure is low in high ground areas

11. Glenview: Water is available from 5 pm to 5 am but the pressure is very low

12. Glen Norah A: Water is available from 5 am to 10 pm and pressure is very low

13. Glen Norah B: Water is available from 2am to 6 am

14. Budiriro 4: Water is available around 10 pm and in most areas water is not available during daytime.

15. Budiriro 3: Water is only available early in the morning and pressure is very low

16. Mufakose: Water is consistently available in most parts of Mufakose

17. Kuwadzana: The water does not have pressure in the morning but is mostly available.

18. Warren Park: Constant water supplies during week days and no water during the weekends

19. Mabvuku/Tafara: The situation in the provision of water is not improving but getting worse. For the month of July most of the days the area did not have water. During the last two weeks of the month water was only received the last two weeks of July. There was no explanation and feedback meeting from the council to the residents on the water situation. Residents have continually resorted to the use of shallow wells and boreholes. In New Mabvuku there are only three boreholes which are working and residents have to endure long queues in search of water. The quality of the water from taps is not acceptable for human consumption. Even with boiling, the water there is foam that appears and dirty particles are visible in the water which makes residents skeptical to drink it.

Visit the Harare Residents' Trust fact sheet

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