Water rationing looms (30-11-06)

ome households were using buckets of water from wells.
“More suburbs will be without water in the coming days,” the city council has warned. The problem is being blamed on the lack of foreign currency to purchase water purifying chemicals. Reports suggest that water rationing could be in place by the end of the month.
Percy Toriro, Harare’s city council spokesman said they had been told by ZINWA that the water crisis was the result of shortages in water purifying chemical Ecol 2000, the chemical used to kill harmful algae in the water supplies.
“All of the affected areas can expect the resumption of normal water supplies later this week. But even though the central bank has provided more than $500,000, it certainly does not meet the requirements of the water reticulation-upgrading programme in the city. We have also experienced a shortages of lime (required to reduce the acidity of the water), but our UK supplier has promised to deliver a further 200 mt by Tuesday next week,” Toriro said.