Chegutu Health Scare as Water Contaminated by Sewer
by Priviledge Zviregei
Residents of Chegutu town are facing a serious health scare after revelations that the town’s water supply has been contaminated by sewage. The Chegutu Municipality confirmed the issue, with reports indicating that some locals have already been admitted to local health facilities after drinking the tainted water.
According to Chegutu Municipality’s town clerk, Mr. Jacob Chikuruwo, the issue is currently under investigation. He suspects that the contamination may be linked to instances of water infrastructure vandalism, where some residents have been damaging pipes in search of “free” water.
“We are facing challenges of water infrastructure vandalism by some residents,” said Mr. Chikuruwo. “Some of the residents are resisting our efforts to install water meters and are resorting to damaging the pipes and digging pits to fetch water for free. It is these points that are letting sewer water into our portable water network.”
The municipality’s spokesperson, Mr. Gift Chikaka, added that the contamination may also be a result of the town’s increased water pumping capacity as part of efforts to improve service delivery.
“We are in a serious drive to improve service delivery, with water supply being the top priority,” said Mr. Chikaka. “However, we have discovered two points where sewer water is entering the portable water network, and our engineers have already flushed and super-chlorinated the water network.”
Mr. Chikaka urged residents to report any suspected water-sewer cross-contamination or vandalism of the water network to the council, warning that they will penalize anyone found to be responsible.
However, a resident who preferred to remain anonymous criticized the council for failing to promptly repair the aging water infrastructure, calling it a “health time bomb” that the council is aware of but has not prioritized.
The Chegutu Municipality has assured residents that the issue is being addressed and has called on the community to cooperate in their efforts to resolve the water contamination crisis.
