Chegutu battles water supply challenges

Chegutu Municipality says it is ramping up efforts to ensure a reliable water supply despite ongoing infrastructure and pumping challenges, Mayor Councillor Rydes Machekera has said.

Clr Machekera revealed that the local authority is investing in water delivery systems while preparing to introduce prepaid water meters to improve revenue collection and sustain service delivery.

The town draws raw water from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, which is pumped from Pool Dam to Clifton Dam before being transferred over a 24-kilometre stretch to the Chegutu Water Purification Plant, now under council control.

However, the mayor said the process is hindered by ageing infrastructure and delays in maintaining critical systems such as pipelines and pump stations.

"One of the major challenges we face is the slow response in maintaining critical infrastructure, especially pipelines and pump stations," he said.

Currently, the municipality is pumping about 8 megalitres per day - half of the required 16 megalitres needed to adequately supply the entire town.

Despite these constraints, Clr Machekera said the council has managed to maintain steady supply levels, improving output to around 40 percent of demand since November, up from 27 percent recorded last year.

"Even last year's 27 percent supply managed to take us through to the end of November, and this year we are in a better position," he said.

The municipality is also planning to roll out prepaid water meters across Chegutu, with a pilot phase expected before full implementation.

"The introduction of prepaid water meters will help us enhance revenue collection and ensure that the water system remains sustainable. This will, in turn, allow us to reinvest in infrastructure and improve service delivery," Machekera said.

Meanwhile, the mayor raised concerns over outstanding funds owed to the municipality, saying about US$1.1 million collected by ZINWA for water supplied to the Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo Air Force Base has not yet been remitted.

"Our role is to pump and deliver water, but the revenue is collected by ZINWA. Currently, about US$1.1 million has been collected, but it has not yet been remitted to the municipality," he said.

Clr Machekera noted that settling the debt would significantly support efforts to upgrade infrastructure and improve water supply services.

Efforts to obtain a comment from ZINWA's public relations and communication manager, Marjorie Munyonga, were unsuccessful at the time of publication.