I estimate
there are at
least ten rigs each drilling a borehole a day in and around Harare. Not all find water, some probably do.
Harare is still growing rapidly. With the thirty- year - old water and
electricity infrastructure continually deteriorating, water is likely to become
much more expensive before any positive change can possibly come. It seems
likely to me nearly all of us will have to make a Plan B sooner or later. There
is literature which shows that grey water – from roofs, bathrooms, and tennis
courts etc. – plus black water from our own sewage – are workable options. Dave
………..
Surely
they should charge
the delivery trucks more tax as
they are causing a lot of damage & pot holes to the roads. Government
should sort out the Municipal water shortage problem. Judy
…………..
I am very disappointed in our municipalities /
government that they are unable to supply us with the most basic of human rights --- water !!! I think it is disgusting that we
have to buy water but more than this we are now going to be taxed on it !! I am
a widow and find it difficult enough to find the money to buy water - let alone
another $15 on top of the normal $50 !!! JUST WHO IS GETTING THIS MONEY ANYWAY
!!! I am also disappointed at the total
lack of preserving our water supplies by the residents who are lucky
enough to have boreholes !! They constantly water the ground outside their
houses xx surely this practice needs to be discouraged. What is being
done about this ?? All I really
ask for is the return of our most basic of human rights !!! PLEASE DO SOMETHING
ABOUT OUR MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES Widow without water
…………………
one reality most people miss is that most boreholes, if not
all are running via the GRID power supply which naturally means that with the
never available electricity (otherwise known as ZESA) most of the private ones
are not pumping anything thus the case of diminishing the water table absurd
hyperbole. By having to provide an alternative power supply to the boreholes it
means that already the borehole owners have taken on an additional taxing,
thanks to "human rights". As long as we have this fragmented approach
to issues as a country and as a people we have yet to see much more piled on
the diminishing pocket. I, for one am on a property that had a borehole sunk
mid 90's obviously not as a response to the now normal City Of Harare's issues
but rather as a means to manage the garden, pool and alike without
demanding much from the council, and then to be told that I am to be
fined for maintaining that garden is short of comedic. contrary to the Hunter's
Dry advert,
" Harare City Council Water, it's dry and you cannot drink it"
……………
Whilst we are talking about
water, is it possible to ask people fortunate to have working boreholes to , at
least, refrain from watering the verges outside their properties. We have not had municipal
water for more than 8 years. We are extremely careful with our water usage and
direct grey water into our garden to keep some plants alive. It is selfish and
irresponsible to water verges, and usually the tarmac too ,when so many people
are simply without water and have to pay increasing prices to buy bulk water.
Regarding City of Harare, it’s time they provide all areas with treated
municipal water. Enough of this gross incompetence.
………….
Those of us who have to purchase water every week as I have had no water for 5 years( I have no
borehole) from City of Harare, do something positive, the Councillor for my
ward has a public meeting on 02/10/2014 where we have been asked to submit a
list of what we are not happy with as to the non-performance of the City Of
Harare. This new charge will be on my list, and I will inform him of my
intention on my next delivery that I will not be paying it and will give my
name and address to the supplier so as he may submit the charge to the City Of
Harare. He has already intimated that this is government and not C Of H, this
time he will be told at the meeting not to hide behind Government and do the
job he was elected to do. Paul
………..
This is completely absurd and
outrageous! The govt cannot provide us with water which is a basic human right
and now want to ‘tax’ us on a service they cannot provide??? I know of a person
who works for one of the Parastatal companies, the house he lives
in belongs to that parastatal and it happens to have a borehole.........I find
it completely and utterly disgusting to see a water tanker in and out of the
property all the time collecting water! - the govt has provided this person and
his family with a house with borehole water and he then goes on to sell that
water to the public and rake in the profits! Who will be monitoring leeches
like this? Out of Water and Outraged!
…………..
By the way private borehole water is not for free. Capitol of
$4000 ( divide this by how many tankers the buyers have to get to reach this )
and then ZESA to pump it. I still see no ban on the water sellers drawing from
WITHIN the municipal area which might help the water table John
………………
This is just 'food for thought '. not sure if your readers
are xperiencing same. About 2 wks ago pples smses started to come into. my
inbox up to 6 x .The exact same message and sometimes even on different days
!!! Does that mean they are making 50/60 cents off us instead of
the usual 10 cents ?? If so they are making a killing. My son also loaded a 5 $
buddy the other day but it just disappeared ¡¡ I havent had time to go in to
complain but am. Sarah.
The
concern here is not in reality water table, it is another fund raising
opportunity. Once more the consumer is asked to bear the
financial brunt of it all. As human beings we are 90% water.
We
dehydrate continuously, water is part of our survival. May I ask whose
responsibility it is to ensure a supply of potable water to the people.
Shame on you who has failed us.
Once
upon a time a little lamb went to the river to drink. The WOLF questioned the
lamb as to why he was dirtying his drinking water. Mr. WOLF how am I dirtying
your water, I am drinking down
river
from you? answered the little lamb. The WOLF ate him anyway !!. D. Hydrated
…………..
Some of the suppliers have made it a neat $20 extra. Talk about cashing
in.
………….
I wondered
when this would happen – and who’s fault is it that
one HAS to buy in borehole water in the first place, hey? If City of Harare
could/would supply us with adequate water, this extra charge
wouldn’t have to be necessitated. OMG they are desperate for money! B
………….
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree
that there needs to be regulation of our groundwater resources this approach is
purely punitive against those who have no choice but to buy water. I am
certain that those of us who buy our water from the bulk operators practice far
more efficient water conservation that those who access their water for ‘free’
from private boreholes. The bulk water operators may extract vast quantities at
source but I am sure that the number of people serviced per 1000l is far more
efficient that the number of people serviced per 1000l from a private borehole!
I also guarantee that all of those who respond saying ‘hear hear’ this bulk
water extraction is terrible have their own boreholes and have never had to
live without water!!! #water is a human right
…………….
It is time we started submitting our water costs to the City
of Harare for re-reimbursement. We pay rates to have access to piped water
regularly.
I think we should design a standard claims sheet that each household that is forced to buy water to
submit to the City of Harare.
………………
Bit upset as some operators gone
up either 20 to 50 dollars dependent on who you call. Will definitely be
shopping around... Kim
………….
please may I make a case for public
opposition to this absurd situation.
1)
The taking over of a borehole or 100
boreholes by ‘government’ does not mean any less water is drawn from these
sources, it simply means that different coffers get filled
2)
The burden now falls on the residents/users
to find more money to pay for what was previously cheaper
3)
Water is a human right and if one option
should cost more them that option should not be taken
4)
Water infrastructure is paid for by
ratepayers (built in) in their bills so to charge more is a surtax
5)
Commercial water suppliers are doing a job
that the authorities have proven incapable of doing.
6)
In effect this surcharge is a tax on the
authorities’ incompetence
7)
If commercial operators can do without the
extra three dollars per cubic meter then it implied inefficiency if the
authorities have to charge the extra amount to provide the same service.
Aqua-fleeced
………………
While I understand and agree that we need to
protect the water table, this should be done in conjunction with making water
available through the dams. This new levy will not reduce the off take of water at all because the people buying it have to do so.
It is an extortionate mechanism to raise money. I believe there would be a very
strong legal case for this, which even the government would have to accept.
Once they have re-commenced delivering water themselves then a levy like this
is sensible. Regards Tony
………………
Personally I am fuming about it. Why should those of us who are forced to
purchase water in bulk be penalized further by being taxed on it? Do the people in the Ministry of Water really
believe we want to spend hundreds of dollars a month on a human rite which
should be free??? Please would someone
tell me exactly how people having to pay $3.00 per 1000l extra for their water
will increase/protect the water table! The only way we are going to start to
achieve this is by not building on our precious wet lands and introducing a
TOTAL ban on hose pipes and watering of gardens irrespective if it is borehole
water or not. Anyone seen to be watering
their gardens should be made to pay a fine that really hurts the pocket. Those seen to be watering their verges
should be fined double!
…………….
My two cents on the matter.
Reference the extra water charges. This is totally and utterly off
sides in my opinion. Who bears the cost at the end of the day!!!! it is
me the end user. And quite frankly if the Ministry would get it right in
the first place then we would not have to buy bulk water in order to survive -
(water a basic human right) as it should come out of the tap from the municipal
line and not from the delivery truck. So much for human rights - my dog
has more rights than I do.!!!! What is water - have not seen it in Glen Lorne
for YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yet they still make sure they charge me a monthly
set fee of $9.00 a month for not getting any water and they say this charge is
for pipe improvements etc - ha ha who are they trying to fool. Not to
mention the pot holes in this area, Grand Canyon has nothing on these. Oh
and lets not forget the monthly $48.25 property tax, again for land
improvements - what are they smoking - oh yes!! I forgot!! no water, craters
for potholes, no street lights, delayed rubbish collections, desert for a
garden, no grass just sand and air full of smoke and ash all equates to LAND
IMPROVEMENTS!!!!!! lets tax the people MORE
………………..
…………………..
………….
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