Chegutu fixes clogged sewer line ending perennial sewage streams on streets

By James Muonwa, Mashonaland West Correspondent

CHEGUTU municipality has prioritised the rehabilitation of 500 metres of its sewer reticulation system in one of the oldest suburbs, where blockages and pipe bursts had become a perennial problem.

Excavation works to uproot the 150mm asbestos pipes and replacing them with wider and more durable 315mm circumference polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

pipes was ongoing in Chegutu suburb’s Ward 6 when NewZimbabwe.com toured the project Thursday.

Chegutu municipality public relations officer, Brian Nkiwane, said the project was urgent in order to fix recurring sewer pipe clogs and bursts that spewed ‘live’ sewerage on the streets in the populous surburb.

“The 500 metre stretch in Chegutu surburb Ward 6 that we are revamping consisted of a 150mm width pipe that was also receiving sewage from two other areas, Wards 5 and 7, for onward transmission to our sewer ponds,” said Nkiwane.

“It had become overloaded and prone to blockages and bursts resulting in sewerage flowing onto the streets. There were outcries from residents fearing disease outbreaks as a result of filth and unhygienic conditions, and this needed to be rectified as a matter of urgency.”

The ongoing sewer line rehabilitation cost US$30 000 and is expected to be complete next week to ensure residents of Wards 5, 6 and 7 bid goodbye to perennial sewerage streams that had become synonymous with the suburbs.