The ManicaPost
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has embarked on program to rehabilitate water and sewer reticulation systems in cities and towns across the country in order to improve quality as well as limit pipe bursts, leaks and sewerage spills.
ZINWA said it is rehabilitating water and sewer systems in Kwekwe and Chegutu while it has completed and commissioned in Masvingo and Mutare with work still going on in other four centres.
Chief executive officer Dr Jefter Sakupwanya told New Ziana that the authority expected to complete works in Chitungwiza and Harare to improve the quality of water in the two cities, which sit upstream of the raw water source, Lake Chivero.
He said the program was also taking place in small towns with support from the Australian Government and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
“We are rehabilitating water and waste water systems in Bindura, Mvurwi, Rusape, Chipinge, Zvishavane, Shurugwi and Hwange among others,” he said.
“We have completed the first phase and seven centres have been rehabilitated to very good operating systems and in the next couple of weeks we shall be commissioning Mvurwi.
“This program spills over into early next year where we hope to complete the remaining centres,” he said.
Dr Sakupwanya said ZINWA was also working with the World Bank to rehabilitate rural growth points in a program in which it is the implementing agency.
“We have selected one centre per catchment and for Save we selected Zimunya, in Runde we selected Gutu Mupandawana, Muzingwane we selected Mataga, for Gwai we chose Lupane, Sanyati it will be Nembudziya, Manyame it shall be Guruve and for Mazowe catchement it will be Madziwa,” he said.
“This is a $20 million dollar project which will run for 18 months and we are already at the procurement stage. We also have another program with the African Development Bank where we have a $2 million facility which shall be looking at the requirements in terms of water and waste water for Marondera city.
“In the last couple of weeks the ADB launched a $32 million fund for the city of Bulawayo meant to address water and sanitation challenges for the southern part of Bulawayo in terms of its conveyance and distribution network,” he said.
Dr Sakupwanya said ZINWA expected that when all the programs were completed, water and sewer reticulation systems for the urban centres would have significantly improved. – New Ziana.
