HARARE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's capital city Harare on Tuesday said it was only producing just over 20 percent of daily potable water demand as it grapples with a shortage of water treatment chemicals.
Many suburbs spent the Independence and Easter holidays without water and are still dry while others have now gone for several weeks without.
City Council Spokesperson Michael Chideme told Xinhua that the council had "enhanced" its engagement with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) over the timely release of foreign currency to companies that import the chemicals from China and South Africa.
"Currently our water production is very depressed. We are managing only 100 million liters against a daily average of 450 million liters," he said.
He presented a dire situation where production could be stopped in two days unless funds are made available to the importing companies.
"Our available stocks of chlorine gas can only last us for two days. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has promised to release an initial 150,000 U.S. dollars towards the importation of chlorine gas. We use a tonne of chlorine gas daily," he added.
Chlorine is used as a disinfectant to kill bacteria in the water.
Chideme said the city required 3 million U.S. dollars every month to buy water purification chemicals for its 2.5 million residents and 2 million others in surrounding towns.
"The other chemicals we use are activated carbon for removing odours, alum sulphate and sodium silicate for removing solid particles, lime for pH regulation, sulphuric acid to reduce pH, HTH for removing algae and ammonia for chlorine retention in the reticulation system.
Stocks of the other chemicals are also at depressed levels," he said.
Meanwhile, residents in various low and medium density suburbs are relying on kind neighbors with boreholes for water.
