HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Residents of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and neighboring Chitungwiza are turning increasingly to unsafe boreholes and shallow wells as municipal water supplies remain erratic and sanitation systems collapse, according to a new monitoring report by the Harare Residents Trust (HRT).
The HRT Water and Sanitation Barometer for Aug 7-31, 2026, based on interviews, WhatsApp groups and community reports across 17 wards and suburbs, paints a picture of “consistent and concerning” service delivery failures.
Water is unreliable and widely distrusted
The report found that while all 17 monitored areas had some municipal water during the period, supply was highly uneven. Some communities had water on most days, while others went weeks without it.
Cranborne recorded eight days without council water. Ward 16 communities reported interruptions of two to four weeks. Mabvuku residents said they received tap water only once or twice a month. In parts of Waterfalls, residents said they had gone approximately three years without municipal water.
Even where water flows, residents say they don’t trust it. In Fountain Bleau, residents reported water four days a week but described it as “very dirty and unsuitable for cooking or drinking.”
City of Harare testing between January and July 2026 raises further alarms. Of 156 public borehole samples collected, 50 of 59 boreholes with inline chlorinators had no detectable chlorine, and only one had satisfactory chlorine levels.
Multiple boreholes tested positive for faecal contamination. These included Mabelreign, Old Highfield Methodist Church, Budiriro 5A, Hopley Hutsanana, and Number 1 Ground in New Mabvuku, which all tested positive for both E. coli and total coliforms. Eastlea tested positive for total coliforms.
A separate City assessment of 71 public boreholes found 41 failed the total coliform test and 9 tested positive for E. coli. Kambuzuma was worst hit: 14 of 23 boreholes failed coliform tests and 5 had E. coli.
“Boreholes and shallow wells are the dominant alternatives recorded across the monitored communities,” the report states. “Alternative water sources reduce the immediate effects of municipal supply interruptions, but they should not automatically be treated as safe substitutes.”
Sewage in streets and delayed repairs
Sanitation failures were reported across multiple suburbs. Mbare residents reported sewage flowing into yards, roads and around homes. Glen View 3 reported unattended sewer bursts on most streets. Glen Norah B reported daily blockages and called for old infrastructure to be replaced.
Response times remain a key complaint. Chizhanje reported a sewer blockage that took seven days to repair. Canaan in Highfield waited seven days with no attendance. Kuwadzana Extension waited 72 hours.
In a statement on Aug 30, the City blamed theft for a Mabvuku outage after “thieves allegedly stole steel bolts on a valve chamber.” On Aug 28 it also announced reservoir cleaning in Kuwadzana Extension that affected Glaudina. Earlier in August the City shut Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Works and Warren Control for leak repairs, affecting the entire city.
George Sakarombe, Superintendent of Zone 3 in Harare Water, urged residents not to dump “solid waste, plastics and wet wipes into sewerage lines,” saying they cause blockages and collapses.
Toilets locked, rubbish piling up
Public toilet access is “inconsistent,” the report found. Communities including Chizhanje, Glen Norah C Extension and Kuwadzana Extension have none. In others, vendors keep toilets locked or charge fees. Mbare residents said they now pay to use toilets.
Refuse collection is generally weekly where it happens, but residents reported missed collections, illegal dumping and a lack of skip bins. In Hatfield, human waste, diapers and rubbish were reported around Twentydales Bridge and the Hatfield Clinic–Police Station cycle track.
Loss of confidence
The Barometer, which references Zimbabwe’s Minimum Service Delivery Standards gazetted in Statutory Instrument 170 and 69 of 2026, concludes the central problem is not just access but reliability, pressure and safety.
“The strongest resident concern is the gap between reporting a fault and receiving an effective municipal response,” HRT said.
The organization said the reliance on boreholes and the recurrence of sewer bursts are increasing public-health risks and eroding trust in local authorities.
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