Wesley Murove
Residents of Gweru have endured a severe three-day water outage, forcing many to resort
to unsafe sources for their daily needs as taps across the city remain dry.
The situation has heightened fears of potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as Cholera, particularly in densely populated areas where some community members are drawing water from unprotected wells and streams.
The City of Gweru (CoG) issued a public notice on October 14, 2025, informing residents that the water shortage is attributed to a major burst pipe along the mainline from the Gwenhoro treatment plant.
CoG, like many urban councils, is failing to meet the city’s daily water demand, forcing it to ration water.
The city’s daily water consumption is more than 60 megalitres, but it can only pump about 40 megalitres. Local authorities have acknowledged the ongoing challenges posed by recurrent pipeline failures, which are a consequence of pressure build-up within the city’s aging water infrastructure.
In response to the crisis, council engineers have mobilized to repair the damaged sections of the pipeline to restore normal water supply as swiftly as possible.
Authorities have also indicated that they are exploring long-term strategies to prevent similar breakdowns in the future.
As residents continue to bear the stress of the outage, community health experts are urging immediate action to address the potential public health risks associated with reliance on contaminated water sources.
The council’s efforts to rectify the issue are being closely monitored, with residents hopeful for a swift resolution to their water woes.
The situation emphasized the critical need for investment in Gweru’s water infrastructure to safeguard public health and ensure reliable access to safe drinking water
