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Dr Mahachi

Municipal Reporter
CHINESE water engineers who were seconded to upgrade the city’s water delivery system under the US$144 million China Import and Export Bank loan are expected in the country today. Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi yesterday confirmed that the delegation of Chinese engineers would arrive this afternoon.

“I can confirm that a team of Chinese engineers will arrive at Harare International Airport today via an Ethiopian Airways plane,” he said.
“They are expected to start work next week.”

The city has partnered with CMEC of China in the implementation of the project after sourcing funding from China.
This followed the city’s incapacity to provide tap water to residents due to constant breakdowns of machinery at water works and pipe bursts.

Some Chinese engineers last month came to Harare to view the designs of the city’s water plants and the various reticulation systems which they validated after the tour.

The upgrade of water and sewer works is expected to be completed in three years and in the second year of project implementation, 80 percent of Harare residents are envisaged to receive water on a regular basis.

The Harare water department produces 450 mega litres a day from Prince Edward and Morton Jaffray Water Works, 100 mega litres of which are lost through leaks due to dilapidated infrastructure against a normal requirement of 900mega litres a day.

The daily requirement is expected to rise to between 1 200 to 1 500 mega litres starting this month due to the prevailing hot temperatures.
At full implementation, Morton Jaffray and Prince Edward water treatment plants are expected to produce up to 705 mega litres a day.

Harare City Council officials together with the director of water Engineer Christopher Zvobgo visited China last month to map out the details of the asset supply plan, loan disbursement and selection of suppliers for the city’s water department.

Harare City signed the loan agreement with the Chinese in 2011 as a result of cordial relations between the country and Zimbabwe.