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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Victoria Falls council has resolved to drill six boreholes in the two high density suburbs of Mkhosana and Chinotimba to help alleviate the water problems faced by residents.

After Parliament approved its city status recently, the municipality is leaving no stone unturned as it works towards positioning itself as a competitive city.

Water is a perennial problem in the resort town especially during the hot season when water levels are low at the pump station on the Zambezi River.

As a result, residents endure days without water and the situation has been critical in the past few weeks as most parts of the high density suburbs have been without the precious liquid.

Council believes the permanent solution to the challenge is taking water management rights from Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

Zinwa pumps raw water to the municipality which in turn treats and distributes it to users but lack of reservoirs in Mkhosana high density suburb has resulted in distribution challenges.

In the short term, council wants to drill four boreholes in Mkhosana, the worst affected suburb and two in Chinotimba.

About US$30 000 is needed for the project which is expected to be implemented once a hydrologist is engaged.

In an interview after a full council meeting, Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said: “In the short term we are thinking of drilling four boreholes in Ward 11 alone and two at selected points in Chinotimba. The council will engage a hydrologist to check best possible places to drill,” said Mr Dube.

He said council felt that installing solar-powered boreholes would have posed serious maintenance challenges due to vandalism, especially when more than three-quarters of solar street lights erected by CBZ Bank four years ago have been vandalised.

Mr Dube said the boreholes will go a long way in helping residents with water for domestic use and also prevent chances of diseases.

“Borehole water is not portable water hence it will not be used for drinking. We expect this will be used to improve hygiene and sanitation in town,” he said.

This comes as the town is courting investors for a Water and Sanitation (Wash) programme which needs about US$12 million.

About US$8 million is needed for the first phase which will comprise rehabilitation of raw water intake and pumping, water treatment plant rehabilitation and upgrade, replacement of commodity pumping, repair of the pump station, construction of Mkhosana ground and elevated reservoirs and extension of pumping system to feed the reservoirs.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini said after the resolution, council is now moving to the implementation stage.

“The water crisis is what has triggered debate and the need to urgently drill boreholes,” he said. — @ncubeleon.