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Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
Gweru City Council has been applauded for notable progress in improving waste water management at its Cambridgeshire Waste Water Treatment plant following the rehabilitation of sewer ponds and trickling filters.

A recent service level benchmarking tour on wastewater management by a team of peer reviewers from the Urban Councils Association left the team satisfied on the progress made so far as compared to the previous years.

Over the years, council has been at loggerheads with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) over the discharge of raw effluent into the environment.

“We have seen some improvements in the pumping capacity, while the plant is receiving an average of 32 megalitres of waste water per day, they are treating about 25 megalitres, a situation which has been made possible by the rehabilitation of once defunct sewer ponds,” said the chairperson of the review committee Mr Malvin Dondo.

Meanwhile, Gweru City Council director of engineering services Engineer Robson Manatsa said Cambrigeshire Wastewater treatment plant which services the bulk of Mkoba and surrounding new residential areas requires $15 million for the procurement of equipment to resuscitate all sewer ponds.

“The rehabilitation of the sewer ponds is only a short-term solution but in the long run, we are planning to construct more sewer ponds to cater for the growing population.

‘‘We are optimistic that if we get the funds needed, the project can be done as we have only managed to purchase new trickling filters and rotating arms to rehabilitate some of the sewer ponds.” said Manatsa.

“Most of the equipment has broken down due to age and corrosion and our aim is to replace key machinery.”