The residents of Mabvuku, Tafara, Hatcliffe, Epworth and Chitungwiza and most of the affluent northern suburbs have drilled or sunk thousands of boreholes and deep wells in the last decade.
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| Check These Rules Governing Boreholes and Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe |
- Among Zinwa’s responsibilities are water resources planning, management and development;
- Hydrology and hydrogeology; and
- Dam safety and borehole drilling.
It is in line with fulfilling these broad mandates that the Government in its wisdom amended the Water Act to reflect a new dispensation in water use. The law changed what was termed water rights to water permits to realise its functions of equitable distribution.
In the past, citizens who developed dams or boreholes had exclusive rights to use that water. However, the realisation that water was a finite resource and the poor had a right to it just as much as the rich, the law introduced water permits. The permits allow one individual to draw water enough for their activities and leave the rest for others to exploit too.
It is within that framework of equitable access and distribution of the scarce resource that groundwater should also be regulated, planned and its exploitation managed professionally.
Allowing any haphazard drilling of wells and boreholes distorts the hydrology of any area and affects other consumers if not managed well. To that end, all people who seek to drill boreholes should apply for an authority to drill from Zimwa before commencing their operations.
For the avoidance of doubt, all boreholes should be registered with Zinwa and requisite levies paid annually to the authority and the respective sub-catchment councils. That is what the law says and that should be observed.
Zinwa has a fully equipped Ground Water Division responsible for managing, exploiting and drilling of boreholes. The unit has state-of-the-art technology in identifying groundwater sources, advising on its use and handling the drilling professionally. The division’s expertise and equipment are also available for hire by private individuals and organisations in addition to their state use.
The Ground Water Division has drilled thousands of private and public boreholes in the last decade across Zimbabwe. The division is proud of its workmanship and the resultant high water yielding and uncontaminated water boreholes it has drilled over the years.
Groundwater remains one of the most dependable freshwater sources. However, it also remains vulnerable to contamination or pollution depending on the industrial/agricultural activities carried out in the vicinity of the borehole site. Therefore, it remains important that the siting and drilling of boreholes be done after water quality tests have been conducted professionally at the site.
Let us all follow the law and ensure that we use the finite resources in a sustainable manner.
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