In what appears to be a shameful act of pure vandalism by residents of Hertfordshire Phase 1 in Gweru who are illegally connecting the water supply to their houses resulting in an increase of water bursts in the low-density suburb.
Increased low pressure and non-availability of water in the area as a result of water being lost through leakages, saw the City of Gweru and the developer River Valley properties launching an investigation into the cause of the seemingly increasing water crisis in the area.
Preliminary investigations revealed that most people were connecting water without the City Council’s approval, leading to a lot of water loss and supply difficulties along the channel.
So far more than 50 houses with illegal connections have been identified and more are expected to single out as investigations continue.
Hertfordshire Phase 1 has one of the best water supply systems in the country which was constructed by the land developer River Valley Properties at a tune of more than US$2million.
Thamusanqa Sibanda, Site engineer said, “People are connecting water without consulting the City Council and opening accounts. When they try to connect water illegally some fail to connect properly, leaving burst water flowing everywhere. This then affects the water supply to surrounding areas as it reduces the water pressure, leading to other areas not receiving the precious liquid.
He added that the City Of Gweru is losing a lot of money due to the loss of treated water along the channel and a complaint was made to River Valley Properties the land developers to take action.
“We had a tour on Sunday the 29th of August when we received concerns from the local authority and our investigations discovered the rot happening in the area. We are now surveying the whole area of Hertfordshire to see who is connected legally or illegally,” said Sibanda.
The engineer expressed disappointment with the behavior of some landowners in the area who are breaching the law yet they expect the local authority and the land developer to maintain high standards.
“We don’t expect this behavior from Hertfordshire residents as such illegal activity can lead to water disconnection to the area by City of Gweru which can affect innocent people,” he said.
Most of the stands were taken up by senior civil servants and high-class individuals in the city, with state-of-the-art designer houses found everywhere in the area.
