Africa-Press – Mozambique. The drinking water supplied by public and private networks, especially in the expanding neighbourhoods of Maputo and Matola cities, may constitute a threat to the health of thousands of families because of the lack of infrastructure maintenance and inadequate reservoir cleaning.
Leaks can be seen in several neighbourhoods, the result of breaks in the pipelines caused by vandalism or sometimes the weight of vehicle traffic.
In either case, the owners and/or managers of these water supply systems must have the capacity to launch the appropriate interventions, since it is possible that damage to the delivery system can result in water reaching customers contaminated.
Whether as a result of incapacity or not, the fact is that when there is a rupture, those responsible for the supply systems take a long time to replace the pipe or repair the damage, a situation which worries families.
Another concern cited by families as representing a danger to public health is the lack of cleaning of reservoirs and tanks by the owner/managers. Reservoirs go unwashed for years, giving rise to algae, fungi and other substances potentially harmful to the health of thousands of people.
Enquiries by ‘Noticias’ found there some residents are already complaining about the poor quality of the water being delivered to them, a scenario that can give rise to diarrheal diseases.
Mozambique: Authority allays possibility of water contamination in Greater Maputo, but says will open inquiry – RM
