An assessment of the water delivery system in Harare (2008-2013): The case of Budiriro High Density Suburb.

Abstract

The study assesses the current water delivery system in Harare 2008-2013, focusing on Budiriro high density suburb. The city’s public water supply has virtually broken down over the past years. Water supplies are erratic, irregular and inconsistent. The study is guided by the hypothesis that erratic water supply perpetuates community and social problems in high density areas. A survey was conducted in Budiriro high density suburb. The study documented experiences and strategies used by water collectors to cope with erratic water supplies. Experiences in South Africa and Zambia relating to urban water supply were also reviewed. Documentary evidence was used to supplement information collected through survey and interviews outlining the effects of irregular water supplies. Major findings point to a number of fundamental challenges in the current water delivery system. The water and reticulation infrastructure is outdated and cannot meet the demand of the ever growing population of Harare. There has been no meaningful investment towards the rehabilitation, maintenance, upgrading and expansion of the water infrastructure. Water supply to residents has been hampered as a result. Erratic and non-supply of water in high density suburbs has resulted in productivity costs, health costs, nutritional costs and time costs on the community. Against this backdrop, the study concludes that all stakeholders in the water sector must join hands with the government to address the challenges of urban water supply. Financial and technical support, resource allocation and implementation of programmes must be effectively coordinated by various players to ensure that the water delivery system is functional to ensure that citizens have access to water for domestic needs. The right to water touches all aspects of national development, thus, the need to improvement to the availability of clean water in order to solve a number of developmental problems in society