BY STEPHEN CHADENGA Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) president Josiah Makombe has said that all urban councils should, by the end of this year, carry out water audits to address the challenges faced by local authorities in supplying the precious liquid. This was after research revealed that urban councils in the country lose at least 60% of treated water to leakages. “We need to carry out water audits to find out how exactly we are losing treated water,” Makombe told NewsDay. “We need to know whether our water sources are overwhelmed by rapid urban expansion, or it has to do with old infrastructure. That is exactly what we need to find out from the water audits,” he said. Makombe said the UCAZ executive recently met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and briefed him “on this critical issue” and other water challenges facing urban councils. He said central government and other development partners should assist urban local authorities to supply uninterrupted potable water to residents. “Addressing such water challenges would also ensure that urban councils will manage to tackle the problem of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid among others,” he said. Over the years, residents in towns and cities have been facing water challenges leading to tight water shedding with people resorting to alternative sources that pose serious health hazards. Follow Stephen on Twitter @jagganox78
