A major water shortage has hit Zimbabwe's capital Harare after one of the two treatment plants was shut down due to insufficient water reserve.
Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant, which draws its water from Harava and Seke dams, was shut down on Saturday, leaving several estates in the city without supply.
"The two dams are at 13.7% and 13.5% full (respectively), and as a result the water level in Seke is now below the abstraction level," the Harare City Council said on Tuesday.
The Prince Edward plant's closure now leaves Harare with only one operational water-processing facility – Morton Jaffray near Lake Chivero.
Southern Harare most affected
On a daily basis, Morton Jaffray, the larger plant, processes 600 million litres of water, which is half Harare City's demand.
Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant adds 70 million litres daily to the supply. Both plants are facing scarcity at the moment, the Harare City Council said.
Parts of southern Harare including Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Cranborne, Hatfield, Chitungwiza, Mbare, Sunningdale and Graniteside are among those affected after the shutdown of Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant.
Water supply to the central business district was, however, uninterrupted.
Cholera
Harare, a city of 1.9 million people, has received poor rainfall, resulting in the depletion of water reserves, the city council said.
The water shortage comes at a time Harare is grappling with cholera cases.
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