Cities in Zimbabwe have been hit by an unprecedented water crisis with some urban centres going for more than two weeks without water, raising fears of an outbreak of diseases.

Residents' groups have threatened unspecified action if the situation is not resolved soon.

Water supplies have become extremely erratic since the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) wrested control of water and sewer reticulation systems from local authorities.

The crisis has forced desperate residents to dig wells.

Among the most affected cities are Harare, Chitungwiza, Chegutu, Mutare, Gweru, Zvishavane, Kadoma and Chinhoyi.

In Harare the worst-hit suburbs include Tafara, Mabvuku, Glen View, Budiriro, Mufakose, Greendale, Waterfalls, Hatfield, Borrowdale and Chisipite.

Unlike some residents of low-density suburbs such as Highlands, Greendale and Borrowdale who have boreholes, high-density residents have resorted to fetching water from sewage-infested streams.

Their toilets are blocked because there is no running water, while big green flies are attracted by the stench and filth.

In Mbare, residents fetch water from the heavily-polluted Mukuvisi River into which Zinwa is accused of discharging raw sewage. The Harare City Council was once penalised for polluting the same stream.

Harare residents said cases of diarrhoea and dysentery among children were mounting everyday as the state of hygiene deteriorates.

Mary Chivero (42), of Budiriro said she had rushed her two children to the local clinic four times in the past six weeks.

"They always complain of abdominal pains and at one time they both suffered from dysentery. This is because most people now use the bush to relieve themselves," she said.

Some areas of Chegutu town have been without water for the past two weeks and residents rely on unprotected wells.

Arnold Mutizira of Chegutu said the absence of running water in the farming town had exposed the residents to water-borne diseases.

"The current situation is extremely dangerous. Imagine we have been without water for the past 12 days. We rely on water from the wells we have dug," Mutizira said.

Fungi Mpofu of Zvishavane said they had resorted to fetching water during the night.

"We wake up around midnight every day to join a long, winding queue to fetch water," she said. "People in authority don't care about our welfare because they have boreholes at their homes."

The water crisis, compounded by uncollected refuse in most residential areas, has made an outbreak of water-borne diseases an imminent reality.

Fly-ridden mounds of uncollected refuse, dry water pipes and burst sewerage are now a common feature in many urban centres.

Combined Harare Residents' Association (Chra) spokesperson Precious Shumba said failure by Zinwa to return water and sewerage reticulation systems to councils would lead to mass protests by residents.

He said the national residents' convention held in Masvingo earlier this month recommended that the Cabinet reverse its decision in line with the recommendations by Parliament.

A Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government recommended that Cabinet reconsider its decision to transfer water provision from local authorities to Zinwa "because the water authority lacked capacity and mandate".

The committee's findings have already been proved true as water supplies have become woefully erratic since the take-over.

Shumba said if the Cabinet failed to reverse its decision on Zinwa, "residents will roll out a plan of mobilising other residents through programmes and courses of action to resist the take-over".

Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director, Itai Rusike, said the current water crisis had placed many residents at risk of water-borne diseases.

According to the Public Health Act, water cannot be cut off for more than 48 hours. If this happens, homes face a health risk, Rusike said.

He said the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa, should, through the Public Health Act, force the Minister of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development, Munacho Mutezo, to address the crisis.

"If there is an outbreak of diseases now, it is he (Parirenyatwa) who would be blamed; so he should use the powers vested in him by the Public Health Act to force Mutezo to address the problem urgently," he said.