Work at the first development project under the African Development Bank-managed Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund’s (ZimFund’s) $29.65-million Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project (UWSSRP) is set to get under way following the official handing over of the $9.04-million Mutare water and sanitation works project to the contractor.

The UWSSRP, which would also fund developments in the Chegutu, Chitungwiza, Harare, Kwekwe and Masvingo municipalities, was designed to improve the health and social wellbeing of the residents of the beneficiary cities through the equitable provision of adequate water supply and sanitation services.

The ZimFund grant would enable the provision of urgent support for the restoration and stabilisation of water supply and sanitation services in the six municipalities by ensuring the emergency rehabilitation of systems and the reduction of pollution in the water sources.

In Mutare, the project comprised the partial rehabilitation of the Odzani water treatment works; the completion of the Chikanga reservoir; the completion of the Mutare trunk sewer; the rehabilitation of Gimboki sewerage treatment works; and the supply of laboratory and other equipment for maintenance.

The restoration of some wastewater treatment capacity in the project areas would reduce pollution of the fresh water sources and the immediate environment.

ZimFund further believed that investment and capacity building in this sector would foster improved service delivery and improve relationships between the providers of water supply and sanitation services and the population.

“This project will certainly result in systems that are better operated, with additional, better quality water supplied for longer periods of the day,” ZimFund manager Emmanuel Nzabanita said at the launch.

In addition to the water and sanitation projects, ZimFund was also supporting the Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (EPIRP) through the provision of about $35-million in funding.

This second project would rehabilitate the ash plant at the Hwange power station, in addition to sub-transmission and distribution facilities in Bulawayo, Harare, Kwekwe, Victoria Falls, Redcliff, Zvishavane, as well as additional electricity distribution facilities throughout the country.

Once completed, these refurbishments and reinforcements of the sub-transmission and distribution networks would improve system reliability and enable the restoration of supply services to about 22 000 customers, who did not have access to electricity services.

The EPIRP project was linked to the UWSSR project in that it would also improve the electricity supply to the water treatment plant of Harare's water supply, as well as the other five urban water supply systems, with a possible contribution to a reduction in the incidence of cholera and other water-related diseases.