HEALTH HAZARD: City of Harare detects human waste in drinking water

The City of Harare has decommissioned at least fifteen boreholes that were found contaminated with human waste.

This comes after city health officials examined water samples collected from 127 boreholes in the three suburbs and discovered detectable amounts of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), a marker of the presence of human faecal matter.

City epidemiology and disease control officer Dr Michael Vere told Sunday Mail,

“We have tested several boreholes in Harare — a total of 127 — and we discovered that seven boreholes were contaminated with faecal matter in Glen Norah and eight boreholes in Mbare.

“We temporarily closed these boreholes and installed in-line chlorinators; these are devices that contain chlorine, which kills all the bacteria in the water to make it safe for use.

“These boreholes could have been the source of typhoid infection.”

Apparently, after the announcement, some Zimbabweans have taken to social media to bemoan the country’s ill fortune.

They also took aim at the authorities for continuously failing to provide them with essential services.

Meanwhile, the local authority has over the years been locked in a tag of war with the central government alleging sabotage.

Zwnews