Source: Harare relooks at water deal | Daily News
HARARE City Council (HCC) has expressed concern over water being drawn from Cleveland Dam by Zimbabwe Phosphate Industries (ZimPhos).
According to audit committee minutes, committee chairperson Ian Makone advised the acting director of Harare Water Mabhena Moyo to see whether there was an agreement with the chemical company.
ZimPhos, which is the manufacturing division of Chemplex Corporation, is one of HCC’s major suppliers of aluminium sulphate, one of the seven water treatment chemicals used by council.
“The committee requested Moyo to look into issues of water drawn by ZimPhos from Cleveland Dam and update whether an agreement was in place and its conditions. It has also been resolved that Moyo must submit a detailed report to the committee advising on the arrangement made between HCC and ZimPhos regarding drawing of water,” read the minutes.
Chemplex Corporation chief executive officer Tapuwa Mashingaidze told the Daily News that ZimPhos was indeed drawing water from council but everything was above board.
Mashingaidze said there is an agreement between the two parties where ZimPhos covers the capital and direct operating cost of the scheme and does not pay for this to the council as this would be like a double payment for its water bill.
He said the agreement was a win-win for both council and ZimPhos and was not a cause for concern.
“Cleveland Dam was built in the early 1900s as the original water supply dam for City of Harare in its early history. However, the city soon became too big for this small dam leading to the establishment of the other bigger dams.
“Resuscitation of the old Cleveland Dam water works to supply ZimPhos was devised jointly between ZimPhos and the city council as a solution to this problem which also had the advantage that ZimPhos would no longer draw its requirements from the overloaded municipal supply system.
“Fortunately, an assessment done by Zinwa at that time showed that the dam could supply just enough water for ZimPhos without jeopardising its status or draining it excessively,” Mashingaidze said.
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