Contaminated tap water kills 328 in Zimbabwe

Contaminated tap water has been blamed for the death of at least 328 Zimbabweans across the country so far this year, according to a report.

The Sunday Mail said a total of 328 people had died
from diarrhoea since the beginning of the year in cases linked to the consumption of contaminated tap water.

Most of the deceased resided in urban areas, including capital Harare, the report said.

The report said an Environmental Management Agency survey recently revealed that municipalities were the main culprits in compromising the quality of drinking water across the country.

Harare Health Director Dr Prosper Chonzi said underground sewer and water pipes in urban areas ran parallel to each other.

He said most of the pipes constantly burst due to their advanced state of deterioration, eventually resulting in raw sewage contaminating treated water.

Chonzi urged consumers to boil water and apply disinfection tablets to treat it before drinking or using it for cooking.