African Development Bank improved water access in Zimbabwe

The Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project Phase II in Zimbabwe, implemented by the African Development Bank, has improved water access for targeted communities with inadequate water supply.

Waking up at the crack of dawn to beat water queues at a borehole almost 2km away had become a lifestyle for residents of Kuwadzana High-Density Suburb in Harare.

To help the city of Harare to improve its water distribution system, ZimFund Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project Phase II (UWSSRP II) replaced 37 km of critical pipelines in the water distribution system to reduce physical losses. This was also meant to ensure a secure and reliable supply for the high-density communities of Harare. The pipeline replacement took place in various critical sections of the city such as Central Business District, Granite Side, Avenues, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals area, Mbare, Willowvale, Sunningdale, Workington, Strathaven, Eastlea, Kuwadzana, Avondale, Southerton, Braeside, Belgravia, Milton Park and Monavale.

The project also rehabilitated 11 water pump stations in the capital city to ensure reliable and equitable distribution of treated water from Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant. Rehabilitation of water supply pumping stations is still ongoing and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019. This intervention will improve the livelihoods of nearly half a million people.

Officials at Harare Water Kuwadzana District have revealed that since the completion of the pipe replacement exercise last year, they have not had any new cases of pipe bursts. Before the intervention, hardly two days would pass without residents from sections 1 to 4 coming to their offices to complain about the lack of water.

ZimFund is a $145 million water and sanitation and energy programme, which was established in 2010 after the 2008 cholera outbreak. The donors to this fund include Australia, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. ZimFund is managed by the African Development Bank as part of its development agenda to improve quality of life in Zimbabwe.

Original source: AfDB
Published on 12 February 2019