Mapostori erect blair toilet near borehole

AS HARARE is battling with waterborne diseases, Vapostori in Highfied have erected a blair toilet on the windward side of a borehole, risking the lives of residents consuming the water as chances of contamination are high.

While a blair toilet should not be built on the windward side of a water source like a borehole, these Vapostori have erected theirs on that side next to the newly-constructed Willowvale flats.

Some residents consuming water from the boreholes expressed concern as they feared that this could expose them to waterborne diseases outbreak.

"As much as we want them to enjoy their freedom of worship and also make use of toilets, its not proper that they erected blair toilets as this risks contaminating underground water.

"We hope the city council will act on them very fast because we can't be exposed like this," said a resident at the flats, Monica Sibanda.

Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that most commonly are transmitted in contaminated fresh water. Diarhhoea, typhoid, dysentery and cholera fell in the class of waterborne diseases.

Poor sanitation and hygiene is the primary cause of water borne diseases and since the beginning of the year more than 800 people have succumbed to these in the country according to Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) statistics.

"One of the main factors that negatively affect water quality is the lack or poor sanitation. It is essential that sanitation is placed at the heart of the development framework," Minister of Health Dr David Parirenyatwa said last week.

80 percent of global waste water from human settlements or industrial sources is discharged, untreated and contaminating oceans, lakes and rivers.

According to a recent research by Harare Water, one third of more than 200 boreholes that were drilled by international agencies during the cholera epidemic showed contamination.