Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Harare mayor Jacob Mafume (CCC) says the city requires between US$800 million and US$1 billion to provide adequate water for all its inhabitants and satellite towns which include Norton and Chitungwiza.
Mafume said the city’s water reticulation system was installed over half a century ago and now needs to be upgraded.
Speaking soon after touring Harare City Council’s Morton Jaffray and Warren Control Waterworks on Wednesday, Mafume said:
At the moment, we have an installed capacity of 620 megalitres (ML) and we are processing about 320ML. We have to go to 450 (ML) towards the end of the year.
But if we are able to put about 550ML into the pumping system, every resident will get water four days per week.
To be able to feed the Greater Harare, we need to revamp our water system. Morton Jaffray is an old plant built in the 1950s.
We need a whole new water system that is able to cater for three million-plus people.
Mafume said the City of Harare intends to install prepaid meters to ensure that all properties are billed and pay for water consumption.
However, residents’ associations and human rights groups say pre-paid meters will leave the poor without access to potable water and cause water-borne diseases.
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