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Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Residents here are sitting on a health time-bomb as the town has gone for more than three weeks without water, prompting some residents to use the bush to relieve themselves.

Council is currently maintaining its waterworks. Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson Mr Jonathan Muusha said council should consider providing bulk water to residents to prevent diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

“We are not happy with council’s failure to communicate well about the current situation. Council never notified us of the shut-down and no one was prepared to go for three weeks without water,” he said.

“Residents are now going into the bush to relieve themselves as the alternative water sources are all overwhelmed. Surely, if this situation is not managed, we might witness another outbreak of cholera because all our nearby bushes are now infested with human waste.”

Mr Muusha said council should consider providing bulk water to residents, particularly when water is disconnected for a considerably long time.

“Other than communicating well, council used to avail bulk water to residents in affected wards. This would ease pressure on residents who are always in need of water every minute. Our boreholes cannot service the whole town, hence the need for council to have a strong reactionary system,” he said.

Town engineer Wesley Kauma, however, said council was working flat out to address the water crisis. He said the local authority was forced to drain water from the treatment tanks after the immediate outlet valves developed a fault.

“We are working with speed to try and restore water supplies to all the wards. When the initial problem happened, we were forced to empty all the tanks so as to repair them,” said Eng Kauma.

“We are yet to complete the fabrication of one final valve, but we have instructed the team at the water works to resume water supply with immediate effect as the outcry from residents is now inevitable.”

Chiredzi’s population has grown exponentially in the past two decades and this has strained the council’s water supply system.