Chitungwiza- Despite ongoing installation of new sewer pipes throughout Chitungwiza, residents and council officials are raising alarms that the infrastructure may be fundamentally flawed due to chronic water shortages that prevent proper waste movement through the system.

The concern, initially raised by Ward 5 Councillor Wattmore Muchairi during a full council meeting, highlights a critical paradox: without consistent water flow, even new sewer pipes cannot function properly, leading to continued blockages, backups, and health hazards in a municipality already battling cholera outbreaks.

A concerned resident and journalist, Albert Masaka wrote to the Mayor, Rosaria Mangoma expressing concern over water shoetgaes and the persistent sewage problems.

Below is the letter by Masaka:

The Honourable Councillor Rosaria Mangoma, Mayor of Chitungwiza Municipality,
Chitungwiza.

Dear Councillor Mangoma,

Re: Concerns over persistent sewerage challenges despite new pipe projects

I am writing to express my deep concern as a resident and journalist about the ongoing sewerage challenges we are facing in Chitungwiza, despite the commissioning of new sewer pipe projects over the years. Unfortunately, these efforts have yielded little success, and the situation continues to deteriorate abs and there lies my concerns.

As you have laid new sewer pipes and continued to lay more, I am particularly concerned about the lack of water flowing through these pipes. With Chitungwiza having no reservoir or water source of its own, the pipes may not have sufficient water flow to carry waste properly, leading to blockages, backups, and other issues.

This concern was one raised by Ward 5 Councillor Wattmore Muchairi during a full council meeting. Intact he was pessimistic that no permanent solution will come without the water consistently flowing though the opd or new sewer pipes.

I would also like to inquire about the following:

• What went wrong with previous projects, and how have these lessons been applied to current initiatives?
• How do you plan to address the effects of little water flowing through the pipes, such as waste accumulation and blockages?
• Are there any solutions being implemented to mitigate these issues, such as regular maintenance, flushing systems, or water flow management?

Given the constitutional rights to safe, clean water and a healthy environment, I urge you to take urgent action to address these challenges.

I hope you will consider these concerns and provide insight into the steps being taken to address them.

Yours sincerely,

Albert Masaka
Concerned Journalist and Resident of Chitungwiza

Infrastructure Investments Amid Systemic Failures

The government has released part of the US$2.2 million required to tackle long-standing sewer challenges in Chitungwiza, paving the way for critical infrastructure upgrades . Yet these investments face fundamental operational constraints.

Residents like Regai Chibanda, a 46-year-old father of five from Chitungwiza, describeddeteriorating living conditions. “If the water comes at all it’s often dirty,” Chibanda told the BBC, highlighting the intersection of water and sanitation crises that plague the municipality .

The situation has turned cholera into “a kind of grim reaper to this southern African nation,” with official figures from the Health and Childcare Department listing nearly 6,000 cases and some 123 suspected deaths across all of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces as of late October last year. In Chitungwiza alone, more than 50 cholera deaths were reported as October ended .

The Water Scarcity Crisis

Chitungwiza’s water system operates under severe constraints:

• Inadequate Supply: Harare currently supplies only 25 megalitres (ML) per day to Chitungwiza, just one-third of the total water required by the municipality .
• Payment Dependence: The supply volume is based on Chitungwiza’s purchasing power, as the municipality must pay Harare for water, creating a vicious cycle where residents’ payment difficulties reduce overall supply .
• Infrastructure Decay: The system suffers from “old and weak water infrastructure that for the past three decades has lacked investment,” according to research published in the Journal of Local Government .

For the past decade and a half, Chitungwiza has implemented a strict water rationing programme where each zone receives water access for only 24-48 hours per week. More than 40% of residential suburbs experience deficiencies in supply lasting from 24 hours to several days .

Technical Perspective: Why Dry Pipes Fail

Pressure pipeline rehabilitation technologies have been utilized successfully for over 100 years, with industry experts emphasizing that successful rehabilitation depends on proper assessment, cleaning, preparation, and quality controls throughout construction .

The relationship between pipes and water flow is critical in sewer systems, as insufficient water leads to waste accumulation and blockages. Without adequate flow, even new infrastructure cannot function as intended.

Governance and Structural Challenges

Academic research reveals that performance evaluations of Chitungwiza’s water supply services indicate “high non-revenue water, poor water infrastructure maintenance, lack of water investment leading to widespread leakages in the distribution system, poor water quality supply and unreliable services provision” .

A majority of residents (80.2%) rated municipal water supply services as poor, according to research involving 298 semi-structured questionnaires administered across Chitungwiza’s four residential zones .

The water crisis in Chitungwiza “reflects the direction the country has been pulling towards for the past three decades in terms of management and development,” illustrating “a retrogressive development process in Zimbabwe revealed through deterioration of basic services and livelihoods across the country” .

Municipal Response and Public Health Consequences

Chitungwiza Mayor Councillor Rosaria Mangoma has been active in community events, though the municipality’s capacity to address fundamental infrastructure issues remains constrained .

Faced with unreliable municipal water, households in Chitungwiza have implemented a ‘source switch’ to alternative sources. Household shallow wells have become the main adaptation strategy, with 51.7% of households relying on wells despite concerns about water quality .

This shift to potentially contaminated well water creates new public health vulnerabilities, particularly as cholera continues to spread through contaminated water sources .

Broader Implications and Rights Concerns

The situation in Chitungwiza raises questions about the constitutional rights to safe, clean water and a healthy environment. As pharmacist Panashe Chawana noted, public awareness about water dangers has become crucial for health protection .

The World Health Organization’s emergencies director Mike Ryan has characterized cholera as “a poster child of poverty, social injustice, climate change and conflict” – a description that captures multiple dimensions of Chitungwiza’s predicament .

With seasonal rains approaching, many fear the accumulated dirt and filth mean cholera “will prove difficult to defeat,” continuing the battle to keep toddlers away from contaminated water taps and puddles .

Seeking Solutions

The government’s promised nationwide borehole-drilling program, supported by solar-powered water points, aims to serve some 35,000 villages without access to clean drinking water . However, urban centers like Chitungwiza require more comprehensive infrastructure solutions.

As residents continue to navigate the daily gauntlet of determining what is safe to drink and use, the fundamental question remains how the municipality will address the interconnected crises of water supply and sewer management to protect public health and meet constitutional obligations.