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Diana Nherera Herald reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority has with effect from October 1 designated five water extracting points to bulk water suppliers who sell the commodity to residents in Harare’s leafy suburbs. The points are Dema, Juru, Henderson Research Station, Gwebi and Parirewa.

Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Runyoka, said the bulk water suppliers would buy the water for US$3 per 1 000 litres.

Previously, bulk water suppliers were fetching water in residential areas such as Mt Pleasant and The Grange.

“There has been over-extraction of water by bulk water suppliers from residential points. By doing so, the suppliers were now affecting the water table resulting in drying up of nearby boreholes,” said Mrs Runyoka.

Residents from Mandara, Borrowdale, Greendale and Mt Pleasant among others in Harare have no access to tap water because of their geographical locations and residents rely on boreholes and bulk water suppliers.

These residents had not been able to buy water for the past three days as suppliers stopped deliveries because of a disagreement with Zinwa over tariffs.

The tariffs increased from US$50 per 5 000 litres to US$90. In an interview, some residents who bought bulk water from dealers, said they were asking for water from neighbours with boreholes.

A resident of Mandara, Mrs Tapiwa Gora, said it had become very difficult to survive without water.

“Being unable to buy water from these dealers means a potential outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases if the situation continues as it is,” she said.

Another resident from Mt Pleasant who declined to be named, said households required running water since Harare’s supplies were unreliable.

“We rely on these water suppliers and we hope they (Zinwa and dealers) come to some sort of agreement so that we can have some normalcy in our homes,” she said.

Harare Residents Trust Association spokesperson, Ms Sharon Magodyo, urged Zinwa to maintain the old tariffs since water was a basic human right.

“Zinwa should not take advantage of the situation because people are trying their best to look for alternative sources of water. The fact that water is a basic human right should be considered, hence it should maintain old tariffs,” Ms Magodyo said.