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Mr Chideme

Victor Maphosa Herald Reporter
Harare suburbs that have been without running water the whole of this week will start receiving it today, as Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant will begin operating optimally due to the availability of water treatment chemicals.

Harare City Council this week cut back on pumping water to residents in various suburbs owing to a shortage of water treatment chemicals. In a statement yesterday, the City of Harare assured residents that water supplies will resume today.

“We resumed full capacity water treatment this morning (yesterday) at Morton Jaffray and we hope by close of day today, most areas will be accessing water,” said the city council. Most residents in Harare had to resort to boreholes and unprotected sources this week after their taps ran dry. Harare corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme on Wednesday told The Herald that the shortage of chemicals had affected normal supplies of portable water to residents.

“Yes, it is true that we had reduced the amount of water being treated because we were low on water treatment chemicals. We have been assured by our suppliers of chemicals that deliveries are improving, meaning we should be back to our normal production,” he said.

Harare Residents’ Trust director Mr Precious Shumba urged the City of Harare, which has been inconsistent in pumping water to residents, to address the shortages permanently.

“The City of Harare has received funds to address water issues and as residents, we are of the view that Government should demand that water accounts by local authorities be ring-fenced so that water revenue is not misused and diverted to other uses other than water infrastructure,” he said.