Green stands for danger at Lake Chivero

There is no sign of usual aquatic life on the opaque green film covering Lake Chivero’s waters for several meters from the shore

Bright colours in nature are said to sometimes be a warning that the plant part or animal will prove toxic if ingested.

That certainly seems true for the green cover over the water spreading for several meters from the shoreline.

Gone are the frolicking dragon flies. The fish popping out to snap at the insects are nowhere to be seen. Schools of fingerlings that spelt the future are not there. Neither is the constant croaks of frogs celebrating life.

The various bird species that were spoilt for dinner choice between insects, fish or frogs perch on the dying carpets of water hyacinth, watching in vain for sign of movement that spells sustenance.

Stinking sludge is surely heralding death. Welcome to Lake Chivero, Harare’s prime water source.

Pollution loads in Lake Chivero seem to be at their highest level since the lake was built in 1952.

“I have been fishing here for years now. The pollution has been rising gradually. But this is the worst that I have seen,” said a fisherman who identified himself as Nomore Banda.

Banda did not want to be on camera as that might cause some problems at his workplace. He is a general hand at a lakeshore property and fishes as a way to supplementing his family’s diet. He also used to make a bit of extra cash by selling excess, but not anymore.

“Not only that the fish are harder to catch, they are smaller and they taste awful. So I no longer catch enough to sell and we just eat out of desperation.

“And even when I have a few extra, there is little point in taking them to the shops and trying to sell them. Lots of people no longer want Chivero fish. They would rather buy more expensive ones from Darwendale,” said Banda.

Community Water Alliance co-ordinator Mr Hardlife Mudzingwa said impeding disaster is apparent to all.

“It is a not a secret that raw water quality in Chivero is very bad. The fact that the city is using 10 to 12 chemicals to purify water is a clear expression of how toxic the water is contaminated,” said Mudzingwa.

Municipal authorities and residents differ on safety of tap product

According towww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au algae toxicity can lead to serious health problems in human beings.

“Drinking algae-affected water or consuming food (such as fish or shellfish) containing toxins can lead to gastroenteritis, which can induce vomiting, diarrhoea, fevers and headaches. These toxins may also affect the liver or nervous system,” the site says.

City of Harare Spokesperson Mr Innocent Ruwende insists council is on top of the situation.

“The green colour of the water shows the presence of algae and to purify our water we have to pre-chlorinate and we use several chemicals to treat our water to ensure that when it reaches out residents it's safe to drink.

“We are happy to report that though our water supply is not enough, we continue to produce and supply safe water to our people as our water quality is averaging 97.2%,” said Ruwende.

But the residents don’t agree. The proliferation of drinking water companies indicates that people have lost confidence in safety of the tap water for human consumption.

A 26-old woman from Highfields high-density suburb says not only is supply erratic, but the water delivered itself is clearly not safe to drink: “Now we sometimes get water coming out our taps in the evenings, but we cannot drink that water. We only use it for washing. For drinking and cooking, we go to boreholes where we sometimes wait for as long as four hours for our turn,” she said.

Boreholes have become a default setting for those who afford the installation costs which can be over US$3000 for drilling and pump installation. In places like Belvedere and Mabelreign community minded residents have installed taps outside their properties and allow every comer access.

A city engineer warned residents against consuming untreated ground water as it can be dangerous.

“While it looks very clean, it can be contaminated by raw human waste so diseases like typhoid and cholera can break out anytime if the ground source is contaminated. People should use water disinfection chemicals or boil their drinking water,” she said.

What is causing Lake Chivero pollution?

Although it approached several key stakeholder organisations including City of Harare itself, Zim Now failed to find reports of any study of Lake Chivero ecosystem and water quality undertaken in the past 12 months.

Different people in various related industries put forth various opinions but at this point, it is all conjecture as to what exactly is causing the pollution.

Hardlife Mudzingwa, said positioning of the city in relation to the lake is the biggest challenge.

“One of the chief contributing factors to this is the site of the city. City of Harare is sited upstream of Lake Chivero and all the pollution that happens upstream finds its way into the lake.

“With partially functional sewer treatment plants in Harare and Chitungwiza, all the sewer is finding its way to the lake,” said Mudzingwa.

Other sources suggest that urban agriculture could be another major culprit in the pollution. While the food security that comes with increased agricultural productions is to be lauded, there is a downside to the development.

Earlier this year Environmental Management Authority spokesperson, Amkela Sidange said illegal urban farming was disturbing the city’s water ecosystem. While the key focus of EMA seems to be wetlands and their implication on water availability, an online source says chemicals used in farming are a pollution danger.

https://www.nrdc.org/, in the write up Why Are Our Waters Turning Green, says, “Algae growth is spurred by two main sources of pollution: fertilizer runoff from farms and discharge from sewage treatment plants. Both add nitrogen and phosphorus to waterways, two nutrients that are essential to algae growth.” The site says that algae growth can poison drinking water.

There have also been reports of industrial pollution being discharged into Lake Chivero water sources. One particularly unpalatable allegation is that some funeral parlours are disposing their waste including toxic chemicals like formaldehyde into the main sewer system which finds its way into the lake. Revolting and frightening.

The increasing number of pleasure spots attracting thousands of revelers over the weekends during summer has also been sighted as an environmental concern.

A lakeside property owner said thousands flock to the lake at weekends bringing lots of potential pollution.

“Some of these people will obviously litter. And when intoxicated, especially when they are in large numbers, some of them do not bother use proper bathroom facilities. They just help themselves anywhere they find some cover. That is fresh sewerage going directly into the lake.”

The toxicity is apparent among the aquatic life species at Lake Chivero. There is no sign of life where the green film covers the water surface.

Even the hardy water hyacinth that the city fathers have been struggling to contain is dying in bright green trap.

Who will save Lake Chivero

The idyllic Lake Chivero is the major water source for Harare and an important domestic and international tourism feature. Image Zimbabwe Travel Authority (ZTA)

Community Water Alliance Co-ordinator, Hardlife Mudzingwa said City of Harare seems to be paralysed when it comes to solving the problem.

“There are times when the City of Harare actually waits for the rains to dilute the water before abstraction and treatment,” he said.

This seems confirmed by the position of COH spokesperson Ruwende who seems to imply that council is choosing to abandon Lake Chivero to its fate.

“We are hoping that with the addition of Kunzvi and Musami dams, we will get cleaner sources of water,” he added.

It would be tragic indeed if the lake is allowed to turn into a dead zone. Besides the environmental disaster, so many livelihoods and investments would sink in the pollution.

Perhaps some concerned citizens with the means will stand up and form a movement to save Lake Chivero.