Zimbabwe National Water Authority to disconnect supplies to defaulting customers

THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is owed $95 million by its customers and will start disconnecting supplies in June in an effort to recover the money, board chairman Mr Never Mhlanga has said. He said the authority's customers in default included irrigators, local authorities, Government institutions and individuals.

In terms of the law, the authority is mandated to ensure that the nation has access to water at an affordable price and Zinwa provides bulk raw water to local authorities and treated water directly to consumers on behalf of local authorities that lack the capacity to do so.

Zinwa is the lead agent in the provision of water throughout the country.

"The entire infrastructure requires massive investment even after their construction. This brings me to one very important point tonight, which is the need to pay for water. Zinwa continues to be weighed down by the non-payment of water bills. As of now, the debt stands around $95 million. These debts have made water resources management extremely difficult and by June we will start water disconnections," said Mr Mhlanga during a stakeholders' cocktail at a hotel in Bulawayo on Thursday night.

He said it was imperative for customers to settle their outstanding bills to enable Zinwa to procure water treatment chemicals, monitor river flows, repair and maintain the equipment in water supply stations as well as ensuring the maintenance of dams and canals, among others.

The money owed, he said, dated back to 2009 when the country introduced the multi-currency system.

Mr Mhlanga said the authority was operating on a stringent budget and called for concerted effort from all stakeholders.

Mr Mhlanga said his organisation was carrying out various projects aimed at alleviating water concerns in the country.

"With the support of Government, various projects funded under the Public Sector Investment Programme are at various but very advanced stages of construction. The Bubi-Lupane Dam is now almost complete, the Mtshabezi pipeline is set for completion this year while the Lupane Water Supply Station is also at an advanced stage of construction," he said, adding that the Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam, which will become Zimbabwe's largest inland dam, would be completed next year.

He said Zinwa was also working on the expansion of various water supply stations to ensure that they match the growing demand and interest.

He said their intention was to develop the Epping Forest Nyamandlovu Aquifer to boost water supply to Bulawayo as well as the Nyamandlovu local communities.

This would see daily water production at Nyamandlovu increasing by 10 000 cubic metres, a development expected to mitigate the effects of drought.

In his opening remarks at the same occasion earlier, Zinwa acting chief executive officer Mr Honest Murindagomo said effective water resources management could only be achieved if there was enough consultation and co-operation between the authority and its stakeholders.

"When the stakeholders have unity of purpose, the management of water resources in this country can be taken to a new level."

He said Zinwa had in the past strived to ensure that every Zimbabwean had access to water despite the challenges that continue to haunt the authority.

The challenges range from ageing equipment to power cuts.

"Zinwa is also facing a challenge from consumers who are failing to pay up their water bills. These range from local authorities to ordinary individuals and some of the debts date back to the time we started using the multi currency system. This has forced the authority to operate on a shoe-string budget, as it uses the little available resources to sustain water supply across the country," said Mr Murindagomo.

The authority runs in excess of 533 clear water supply stations countrywide while it also manages in excess of 800 large and small dams.