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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
University of Zimbabwe and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals are set to partner City of Harare in addressing Lake Chivero basin management issues in a bid to improve the city’s water quality at a cost of US$100 000 .

Harare Water director Eng Christopher Zvobgo told the environmentalManagement Committee that City of Harare and UZ will come up with projects aimed at improving Lake Chivero basin.

The first one, he said, is the Solar Bee which is a patent product by Medora Corporation and is designed to solve a variety of water quality problems.

“In lakes and raw water reservoirs, Long Distance Circulation equipment could be deployed to treat the epilimnion where LDC prevents and controls harmful blue-green algae blooms.

“LDC could also reduce taste and odor problems in drinking water, improve dissolved oxygen levels and potential hydrogen levels, reduce invasive aquatic weed and filamentous algae growth, and generally improve water quality and aesthetics,” he said.

He said Medora had sent a questionnaire which will help develop a Solar Bee of Chivero and UZ is prepared to assist in giving appropriate recommendation.

Eng Zvobgo said a microbiologist had approached the city and proposed to team up with Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to research on the cysts within catchments, and train City of Harare employees on how to control and monitor cysts.

He said another project Green Bridges which aims at improving water quality of rivers receiving city effluent with India had been proposed and is awaiting finalization.

“The director of Harare Water reported that a total cost of US$100 000 for the year 2014 would be enough for the research work and council would look for donors to finance the project,” read part of the committee’s minutes.

The councillors approved the proposal and resolved that Eng Zvodgo submits an appropriate report to the Human Resources and General Purposes Committee on the council employees to be seconded to the project research work.

Harare City Council supplies potable water to the city and the surrounding local authorities of Chitungwiza, Epworth, Ruwa  and Norton  Town  Councils .

Harare is experiencing problems in improving water and reliability of service provision against aged and inadequate infrastructure and ever depreciating raw water.