By Loyd Matare
As Chitungwiza grapples with choking sewer bursts contaminating water sources across the municipality, Mayor Rosaria Mangoma has urged residents to rely on borehole water instead of shallow wells to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases.
This comes amid recurring sewer bursts, particularly in Zengeza, where overflowing effluent has seeped into several community wells, leaving thousands exposed to unsafe water.
Speaking to AfroGazette News, Mangoma said most wells in Chitungwiza were no longer safe because they were too shallow and easily contaminated by faecal matter.
“Borehole water is much safer than well water because boreholes are drilled much deeper. Wells are shallow, which is why they are easily contaminated by sewage,” she said.
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She added that the majority of residents had already turned to boreholes, often drilling them in groups.
“Chitungwiza does not rely solely on wells. Most residents depend on borehole water, and many of them form groups of 10 to 40 families to drill boreholes and ensure that each household gets tap water,” Mangoma said.
The mayor also defended the municipality’s efforts to mitigate the crisis, insisting action was underway despite long-standing infrastructure failures.
“Our sewer pipes were designed for about 180,000 people, but we are now accommodating close to 400,000 residents.
“This is why sewer bursts, especially in Zengeza, have become frequent,” she said.
“Here in Zengeza, we have started a project to replace the small pipes with bigger ones. The sewer lines are overloaded, but the issue will soon be resolved as the upgrade progresses.”
She added that temporary relief was being provided to families whose wells had already been contaminated.
“We are using a honeysucker to remove sewage from those affected areas so residents get some relief,” she said.
“We encourage residents not to rely mainly on well water but to shift to borehole water, which is safer, as well as the treated water we buy from the City of Harare,” she said.
