Harare to provide water once a week

Harare Water has promised to ensure that each household gets water at least once a week.

Harare Water Director Engineer Phakamile Moyo on Monday told a full council meeting that shortages of water treatment chemicals and the drought situation are adversely affecting water delivery.

Last month Harare City Council announced that it will declare the water situation a state of emergency to allow partners to come on board, as some of the dams it relies on have dried up due to drought.

The city council has already decommissioned Prince Edward Waterworks because of the poor water supplies to the station.

The city is also battling to procure water chemicals due to the shortage of foreign currency.

On average, the city requires between US$2,5 million and US$2,8 million monthly to procure water chemicals.

To alleviate the situation, three companies have responded to the city's call for alternative water treatment solutions for Morton Jaffray water treatment works.

The local authority is using a cocktail of compounds of up to a dozen to treat water.