The City of Harare, in partnership with Helcraw Water Private Limited, is undertaking a major rehabilitation of the capital’s aging water infrastructure, replacing hundreds of kilometres of old pipes in a bid to reduce non-revenue water losses that have affected service delivery for years.
The ambitious project includes the installation of more than 70 kilometres of new PVC pipes to replace the city’s aging asbestos-cement pipelines, many of which date back decades and have long exceeded their expected lifespan.
According to the Harare Water Project, 70 000 metres of new piping have already been installed, with authorities targeting 100 kilometres by the end of the year.
Work is currently underway in several suburbs, including Avondale, Mount Pleasant, Waterfalls and Greenwich, while residents in areas such as Borrowdale have already started noticing improvements.
The City of Harare has been losing millions of dollars’ worth of treated water through underground leaks and burst pipes.
Data shows that the city loses approximately US$4.8 million worth of treated water annually, accounting for about 20 percent of total production.
The rehabilitation of the water network is expected to significantly reduce these losses, ensuring that more treated water reaches households instead of being lost underground.
Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama said the partnership with Helcraw Water was playing an important role in modernising the city’s water network.
“Yes, the partnership between Helcraw Water and the City of Harare is helping improve water service delivery through the replacement of old and damaged water pipes, reducing leakages and water losses across the city.
“The new pipe infrastructure is helping the city to respond to persistent leakage problems, improve the reliability of water supplies, reduce wastage of treated water and ensure that more water reaches residents.
“For the city, this also means a more efficient and sustainable water network. The areas we are working on include College Road, Mount Pleasant, areas in Greenwich, all over Harare, there are so many places we are working on,” said Mr Gama.
The pipe replacement programme forms part of a broader “value chain” approach aimed at addressing Harare’s water challenges. The initiative also includes the rehabilitation of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant and the installation of smart prepaid water meters.
To date, more than 75 000 smart meters have reportedly been installed to improve water consumption management and billing efficiency.
The ultimate goal is to increase water production at Morton Jaffray from 300 megalitres to 520 megalitres per day, ensuring that the city has sufficient treated water to supply the rehabilitated network.
For years, Harare residents have endured burst pipes, sewage contamination and prolonged periods without running water.
However, officials are optimistic that the continued public-private partnership with Helcraw Water will help address these long-standing challenges and improve the reliability and sustainability of water supplies in the capital.