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At the end of last year, Government, in consultation with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, announced a reduction in raw water tariffs. The reduced water tariffs took effect on December 1, 2015.  Announcing the reduction during the 2016 National Budget presentation in the House of Assembly, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the reduction of the raw water tariffs was being effected to increase raw water uptake in the country’s dams and mobilising resources for the maintenance, rehabilitation and completion of raw water infrastructure.

The raw water user categories that benefited are those of A1, A2 and communal farmers whose tariffs were slashed by more than 50 percent.

The reduction should therefore incentivise farmers into using water legally unlike in the past years where some farmers would abstract water from ZINWA managed dams without the necessary agreements.

Some of the farmers cited the high water tariffs as the reason why they were evading the due processes required for one to use water from ZINWA managed dams.

The evasion of the due processes prejudiced ZINWA of the much needed revenue for the maintenance of the very same water infrastructure from which the farmers were illegally drawing water.

In the end, the same farmers would come to ZINWA to complain about the lack of maintenance of dams in their communities.

This is despite the fact that the same farmers are partly responsible to the non-maintenance of the water infrastructure since ZINWA cannot play any meaningful role in the water infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance when water users are not paying for the service.

While ZINWA is expecting an upsurge in the demand for raw water this water year since the tariffs have been brought to affordable levels, the Authority continues to urge farmers who have not yet signed their water agreements for the water year to visit the Authority’s catchment offices in Gweru, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Bulawayo and sign the agreements.

This applies to both new water users and those wishing to renew their lapsed agreements.

It must be borne in mind that the country is experiencing a drought induced by El Nino and in most cases, water in the dams may not be sufficient to meet the demand for irrigation water.

When the country has such a situation, the need for water users to have their water usage documented cannot be over emphasised.

Undocumented water use distorts the actual demand for water and seriously affects ZINWA’s ability to plan and develop water resources for the immediate and long term needs.

It also prejudices ZINWA of the revenue needed for water infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and even construction.

It also prejudices those users in legal water use. Using water without agreements also constitutes a criminal offence in terms of Section 118 of the Water Act and offenders risk being fined, imprisonment or both.

Farmers therefore need not take these unnecessary risks since ZINWA maintains an open door policy and their concerns can always be addressed.

Under the circumstances, ZINWA also wishes to reiterate that no unregistered raw water user will have water reserved for him or her and instead ZINWA the Authority is working closely with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that all illegal water use is stemmed out.

It is therefore against this background that all farmers intending to irrigate during this water year should take the necessary steps towards regularising and legalising their water use.

For more information please contact the ZINWA Corporate Communications and Marketing Department on [email protected] or visit www.zinwa.co.zw. You can also like the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Facebook Page.