A Community group has raised the red flag on Chitungwiza residents at a risk of contracting diseases after some borehole water in the dormitory town has reportedly tested positive for E. coli.
According to the director of Community Water Alliance, Hardlife Mudzingwa, one such borehole is the one at a local creche which the municipality has since ordered its immediate shutdown.
In a statement released Friday, Mudzingwa revealed that an assessment carried out in most structures of Chitungwiza by his organisation pointed to a potential health hazard in town where thousands now rely on borehole water as council fails to supply clean tap water due to forex shortages to buy water chemicals.
“There is a potential health hazard in the town if emergency measures are not taken to address water and sanitation challenges in the area.
“We call upon authorities to address water challenges in Chitungwiza as urgent as humanly possible,” said Mudzingwa.
The water situation and sewer reticulation system in this town have turned Chitungwiza into one of the most filthiest places to stay but, residents continue to pay for services which are not provided for by the authorities.
Due to poor sewage reticulation in the town, raw sewage might have come into contact with borehole water through seepage.
Escherichia coli, also known as ecoli has been described as a type of bacteria commonly found in the lower intestine of warm blooded organisms and its strains can produce toxins that can cause severe illness, such as severe anemia or kidney failure which can lead to death.
