CONSTRUCTION of the Kunzvi-Harare pipeline that will convey water from Kunzvi Dam to the capital has begun, marking a significant step towards ending Harare’s crippling water shortages that have persisted for more than two decades.
The 48-kilometre pipeline will channel raw water from Kunzvi to a treatment plant set to be developed at Donnybrook in eastern Harare.
Once complete, it will convey up to 240 megalitres of water daily, significantly easing the capital’s deficit, with current daily supplies averaging 400 megalitres, against a demand of about 800 megalitres.
The pipeline is a central component of the Harare East Water Augmentation Project, which had stalled for years largely due to financial constraints.
It is being implemented by local contractor Redan Bulk under a US$52 million tender awarded by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Construction is expected to take two years, aligning with the completion of Kunzvi Dam, which is scheduled to start impounding water during the forthcoming rainy season.
The mega-project involves the laying of a 1,4-metre glass reinforced polyester (GRP) pipeline and installation of two booster pump stations.
GRP pipes are lightweight, durable and resistant to corrosion, making them ideal for large-scale water conveyance projects as they reduce maintenance costs and extend the lifespan of infrastructure.
So far, about 30 workers have been employed, with the number expected to rise to 250 as construction gains momentum.
On site, the contractor has mobilised a high-tech mechanical trencher capable of excavating between 500 and 700 metres per day depending on soil type, speeding up installation.
Last week, contractors were laying the first three kilometres of pipeline about seven kilometres from the dam site.
Zinwa resident engineer for the project Johanne Mwase said the pipeline would not only augment Harare’s water supplies but also bring many benefits.
“The Kunzvi-Harare pipeline is a raw water pipeline to supply Harare,” he said.
“It stretches 48km from Kunzvi Dam to Donnybrook Water Treatment Plant, with two booster stations along the way.
“We will also have offtakes for Juru Growth Point and farmers along the corridor to help create a greenbelt from Kunzvi to Harare.”
He said once the dam begins impounding water during the coming rainy season, the pipeline is expected to begin conveying water to Harare next year.
“This will go a long way in alleviating Harare’s perennial water challenges,” he added.
Eng Mwase expressed confidence that the project was on track for completion by the end of next year, provided the current funding commitment is maintained.
“We are glad that Redan Bulk, a local company, is proving capable of delivering such a massive infrastructure project. They are using state-of-the-art equipment, including a powerful trencher that has a minimum production capacity of 500 metres a day,” he said.
“In fact, our other activities are struggling to keep up with the speed of the excavation.”
Redan Bulk’s projects manager Engineer Lucio Chayeruka underlined the importance of timely funding in keeping the project on track.
“The timeline for completion is supposed to align with the completion of the dam and the release of Treasury funds, which are directly financing the project.
“There is no external funding. Our trenches are three metres deep and three metres wide, and this is one of the biggest water conveyance projects currently underway in Zimbabwe,” he said.
He said the new pipeline and water treatment plant would provide a critical new source of clean water located outside the heavily polluted Manyame catchment area.
“As the contractor, we are introducing innovative methodologies in project execution,” he said.
“We operate the only trenching equipment in the country capable of achieving trenching outputs of at least 700 metres per day.
“In addition, we are deploying modern digital technologies to capture and document utilities installed along the pipeline. Each pipe section is being geo-referenced, with pipe identities and chainages systematically recorded during installation.
“This approach will provide a reliable digital record for remote referencing of subsurface features after construction, thereby enhancing future operation and maintenance.”
The Kunzvi Dam project has been on the drawing board for decades as a key solution to Harare’s chronic water shortages.
Initially conceived in the 1990s, the dam was identified as a strategic alternative water source to ease pressure on Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame, which have traditionally supplied the capital, but are now heavily polluted and increasingly inadequate for the city’s growing population.
Located in Goromonzi district, about 67 kilometres northeast of Harare, the dam sits on Nyagui River, a tributary of Mazowe River.
Once complete, it will have a capacity of around 158 million cubic metres of water.
This storage is expected to support both domestic consumption and irrigation along the Harare-Goromonzi corridor, creating opportunities for agriculture and rural development.
Construction of the dam officially commenced in 2021, and the project has made steady progress, with dam wall construction nearing completion.—Sunday Mail
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