By Michael Gwarisa
In a move that is set to improve access to safe water among Harare residents, the U.S. government has invested US$150,000 through the American Center for Diseases Control (CDC) in partnership with UNICEF to support water quality monitoring in Harare.
The support is part of the CDC’s support to the City of Harare in the cholera emergency response in areas cholera-affected urban areas. The investment involves the insulation of Chlorine boosters at water reservoirs to help in the disinfection of water before it is pumped into households.
The first chlorine regulator and booster has been installed at the Kuwadzana Extension extension reservoir, which serves approximately 42,000 residents.
U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont said her government has been instrumental in providing both financial and technical support for the implementation of measures to ensure there is access to safe water.
Chlorination of drinking water protects the health of communities from cholera and other waterborne diseases. Monitoring chlorine levels allows us to make sure that water remains safe for use and enables City authorities to respond rapidly if levels are too low,” said Ambassador Tremont.
The USG support has also helped enhance water quality monitoring in the municipal piped water network by modernizing data collection and visualization from sentinel sites. These sites include water taps, boreholes, and shallow wells in the communities, healthcare facilities, and schools. Additionally, we have supported implementation of the mWater dashboard, which immediately alerts the Harare Water Department to take action when residual chlorine levels are below World Health Organization standards.
“The notifications provide precise locations for prompt action by the authorities. These monitoring efforts and remedial actions are critical as the cholera control work transitions from response to prevention. Boosting chlorination will help maintain chlorine at effective levels and will safeguard children and families in surrounding areas from waterborne diseases such as cholera.”
Harare is grappling with water quantity and quality issues, primarily due to rapid population growth that has overwhelmed existing infrastructure. According to the urban Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) of 2024, only 23.5% of households in Harare have access to piped water, while 29.4% rely on boreholes and 36.6% on protected wells—alternative sources linked to diarrheal outbreaks. 12.1% of residents are satisfied with water quality, and 67.4% are dissatisfied with service reliability.
The low availability of piped water has fuelled reliance on alternative sources and contributed to recurring waterborne disease outbreaks, including cholera in 2008 and 2018, typhoid in 2019, and the recent cholera outbreak (2023-2024) that lasted nearly 18 months. Although the outbreak has been declared over, the underlying conditions that caused it to persist are still existing.
Meanwhile, UNICEF, in partnership with the City of Harare, Oxfam, and VEI has also launched data management for rapid response activities through Environmental Health Rapid Response teams, and the installation of a chlorine regulator and booster at the Kuwadzana extension reservoir.
Madam Etona Ekole, the UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe applauded the US Government for their support to the project.
“We must also extend our gratitude to the United States for their broader funding streams that support UNICEF’s WASH initiatives. These resources have been pivotal in responding to multi-emergencies in Zimbabwe, particularly in areas such as Budiriro, Glen View, Kuwadzana, and Chitungwiza. To date, we have reached more than 72,000 individuals, including 33,000 children, with access to safe water through 39 established water points,” said Madam Ekole.
UNICEF in collaboration with VEI and the Harare Water Department is supporting the Kuwadzana Reservoir Site, which has a capacity of 11.4 Mega Liters through the construction of a chlorinator building and installing a chlorinator regulator and dispenser at Kuwadzana.
With the support, the City of Harare has been capacitated to efficiently collect water samples and utilize the mWater digital platform. Through this innovative approach, employing tablets in the field and laptops connected to Wi-Fi, allows for instant updates to databases, ensuring timely decision-making regarding unsafe water sources.
Varaidzo Mavetera, the Chief Environmental Health Officer with the City of Harare said the municipal water has a low concentration of Chlorine and that puts residents in harm’s way.
