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Harare warns of rising sewer blockages
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The City of Harare has sounded alarm over a surge in sewer blockages across the capital, blaming the crisis on illegal dumping of solid waste by residents.
According to council officials, 60% of sewer system problems now stem from residents' actions, while only 40% are linked to wear and tear or structural defects.
Harare Department of Water Engineer, Simon Muserere, said the problem has escalated in recent years, with waste materials such as rags, kitchen utensils, construction debris and sand increasingly clogging pipelines.
"In the past, the council used to receive over four tonnes of sand per day at our sewage treatment plants, which meant sewer lines had a self-cleansing velocity. Now, that self-cleansing velocity is lost. Instead, between three and four tonnes of sand are accumulating in the pipelines," Muserere said.
He noted that the blockages are no longer confined to high-density suburbs but are now affecting low-density areas as well.
"This is a major concern as we have seen a significant rise in blockages across all areas of the city," he added.
The city has been forced to deploy high-pressure sewer clearing machines and even carry out costly excavations to clear the lines. Muserere warned that such interventions were not sustainable given the city's constrained budget.
He also linked part of the problem to water rationing, which limits the flushing of waste through the system.
"When you use a very small tin, it might clear your toilet, but the load remains in the pipeline. A larger bucket helps push waste through to the treatment plant," he advised, urging residents to adopt proper flushing practices.
Muserere called on residents to take responsibility in reducing user-related blockages, stressing that this would free resources for fixing structural faults.
"If we cut down the 60% caused by residents, we can focus our limited resources on fixing structural issues and avoid overstraining the city's budget," he said.
According to council officials, 60% of sewer system problems now stem from residents' actions, while only 40% are linked to wear and tear or structural defects.
Harare Department of Water Engineer, Simon Muserere, said the problem has escalated in recent years, with waste materials such as rags, kitchen utensils, construction debris and sand increasingly clogging pipelines.
"In the past, the council used to receive over four tonnes of sand per day at our sewage treatment plants, which meant sewer lines had a self-cleansing velocity. Now, that self-cleansing velocity is lost. Instead, between three and four tonnes of sand are accumulating in the pipelines," Muserere said.
He noted that the blockages are no longer confined to high-density suburbs but are now affecting low-density areas as well.
The city has been forced to deploy high-pressure sewer clearing machines and even carry out costly excavations to clear the lines. Muserere warned that such interventions were not sustainable given the city's constrained budget.
He also linked part of the problem to water rationing, which limits the flushing of waste through the system.
"When you use a very small tin, it might clear your toilet, but the load remains in the pipeline. A larger bucket helps push waste through to the treatment plant," he advised, urging residents to adopt proper flushing practices.
Muserere called on residents to take responsibility in reducing user-related blockages, stressing that this would free resources for fixing structural faults.
"If we cut down the 60% caused by residents, we can focus our limited resources on fixing structural issues and avoid overstraining the city's budget," he said.
Source - online
