BULAWAYO is sitting on a health time bomb amid reports that its water treatment plants and sewer systems need urgent rehabilitation.

Increased flows of human waste from burst sewer pipes are now a common sight in the city.

Bulawayo, with an estimated population of about 1.5 million, has experienced water shortages for some time raising fears of a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases like cholera.

This comes amidwarnings by the United Nations (UN) and international health agencies that Zimbabwe is at risk of another water-borne disease outbreak since the underlying causes of last year's cholera pandemic have not been addressed.

"We have not had water for the past week and the situation has been further worsened by the flow of human waste from burst sewer pipes into people's yards. None of the problems has been attended to," Barbra Mangena from Old Magwegwe high-density suburb said.

A feasibility study conducted by the Bulawayo Sewerage Task Force (BSTF) recently revealed that the City Council needs about US$20 million to replace the aged sewer systems and avert a health disaster.

According to the local authority's Municipal Procurement Board, a further US$10 000 is required urgently for equipment to rehabilitate the water treatment plants.

Water purification standards have deteriorated considerably at all the city's water treatment plants in Magwegwe, Rifle Range, Tuli Hill and 6 J.

Bulawayo Mayor Thaba Moyo said the sewer and water system has come under heavy strain due to lack of capital over the years to replace or rehabilitate it. As a result, he said, it has been overwhelmed by the growing population in Zimbabwe's second largest city.

"Failure to rehabilitate the water treatment plants and sewer systems will result in a health disaster as the council has not yet raised enough revenue to address the problems," Moyo said.

The local authority is unable to raise revenue as its US$303 million budget is still to be approved by the Local Government Ministry.

This has been further worsened by government departments that have not been paying council for services rendered.

Government ministries owe Bulawayo City Council about US$800 000 with the Home Affairs and Water Resources Ministry having debts of US$201 670 and US$151 846 respectively.

Minutes of the latest council meeting say the local authority will re-introduce water disconnections in order to force government departments to pay.

"We have also appealed to the Finance and Local Government Ministries to assist with funds to kick-start the projects (of rehabilitating the water treatment plants and sewer systems) as soon as possible," Moyo said.

No comment could be obtained from the Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti and Ignatious Chombo, the Local Government Minister.

International relief agencies and local health officials who co-ordinated efforts to combat the cholera outbreak say Zimbabwe remains at risk of a fresh and more deadly outbreak of the water-borne disease once the next rainy season starts in about three months' time as the underlying causes remained unattended.

The UN has warned that a fresh outbreak of cholera in 2009/2010 could see up to 25% more people affected by the pandemic than the number of infections during the previous outbreak.