Harare Water Restoration Imminent as "Mammoth" Warren Control Repairs Conclude

Engineers working on a massive water main at the Warren Control pump station in Harare

HARARE – The City of Harare has issued a final assurance to residents and the business community that the major maintenance works at Warren Control are in their concluding stages. Following a rigorous 72-hour emergency repair cycle, water is expected to begin flowing back into the city’s taps by late this evening, Monday, March 30, 2026.

The crisis began on Friday, March 27, when a catastrophic pipe burst forced the immediate decommissioning of the Warren Control facility. As the primary distribution hub for the greater Harare area, the shutdown effectively severed the water supply to the CBD and dozens of surrounding suburbs. Council spokesperson Stanley Gama explained that the "all-hands-on-deck" intervention was necessary not only to fix the immediate rupture but to scour the system and assess the structural integrity of the aging pipeline network.

Since the shutdown, teams of city engineers and support staff, led by Senior Superintendent Chirenje, have been working 24-hour shifts to manage what Gama described as a "mammoth task." While the council initially aimed for a midnight completion on Sunday, unforeseen technical hurdles extended the repair window into Monday.

“I’m happy to inform residents that we have finally overcome the hurdles and the teams are putting final touches to the task,” Gama stated during a site visit today. “Our engineers have been working tirelessly to ensure normal supply is restored while guaranteeing lasting repairs.”

The City has cautioned that the return of water will not be instantaneous for all areas. The restoration is a "delicate process" that requires specific pressure-management procedures to prevent further bursts in the distribution lines.

Residents are advised that as the system re-pressurizes, they may experience initial airlocks or temporary turbidity. The Council expressed its gratitude to the residents for their patience during a weekend that saw significant disruption to both domestic and commercial activities.

Harare water restoration March 2026