(HERALD) Harare water shock

Harare water shock
By Michael Chideme

SIXTY-SIX percent of the water produced by Harare City Council is being consumed for free because the users are not registered with council as they were illegally connected.

According to council, out of the 34 percent of water billed, the city is collecting less than 50 percent of the revenue implying that only 20 percent of the water revenue is collected.

Harare Water has potential to collect US$8 million from water every month, but receives around US$3,5 million.

The collected amount includes arrears running into several months.

Investigations by Harare Water indicate that the majority of housing co-operatives are not captured as well as all new housing developments that were established after 2005.

About 1 160 households under Nehanda Housing Co-operative in Dzivaresekwa are not in the council books as well as 777 houses in the various housing co-operatives in Hatcliffe.

The same applies to other housing co-operatives in the capital.

Some co-operatives use faulty bulk meters, implying that incorrect readings are captured.

For the past two weeks, senior Government officials, captains of industry and ordinary residents have been falling on each other reporting themselves to council.

Director of Harare Water Engineer Christopher Zvobgo confirmed that his office was inundated with calls and reports by people saying they had not paid for water for the past five years.

"Sixty-six percent of the water we are producing cannot be billed. We are only able to bill for 34 percent of the water," he said.

The city has been calling for residents to register their water connections after noticing the discrepancy in water produced and water billed for.

Eng Zvobgo said the amount of non-revenue water (water not paid for) was a major cause for concern.

"Non-revenue water consists of physical losses, leaks and commercial losses that include illegal use, unmetered connections or faulty metering," he said.

He said physical losses accounted for 40 percent while commercial losses were at 26 percent.

Contractors connected some of the properties directly to the water mains while others hired private plumbers to connect them without informing city authorities.

Eng Zvobgo said the low water revenue collections were impacting negatively on the city’s capacity to reinvest into water infrastructure.

Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi recently said 25 percent of water revenue is ploughed back into maintenance and upgrading of the system.

The city spends US$2 million on water treatment chemicals every month, implying that out of the average US$3,5 million collected from water sales US$1,5 million is for employee salaries, infrastructure and other running costs.

In a related matter, Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda says the city’s water deficit can be contained if Government speeds up the construction of Kunzvi and Musami dams.

Harare suffers a water deficit of 600 megalitres (600 million litres) a day.

Kunzvi Dam has potential to produce 270 megalitres while Musami Dam — to be built on Shavanove River — has potential to produce 450 megalitres.

The two dams have potential to add another 570 megalitres.

Mr Masunda said the two projects would cost US$1,170 billion. Once the dams are built, the city would be responsible for constructing the treatment plants and abstracting water.