Mutare City Council requires a US$30 million grant or loan from international and regional financial institutions to construct a new water treatment plant.

Council officials say Odzani water treatment plant can no longer meet the demand in the eastern border city.

Mutare also supplies water to surrounding areas in Mutasa district, where the Odzani water treatment plant is situated.

Acting Town Clerk, Blessing Chafesuka said indications from the engineering department show that the existing plant has got no water provision sufficient for the city's increasing population.

He added the cash strapped council is appealing to international financial institutions for a grant in order to establish a new water plant.

"We require US$30 million on average in order to construct a new water treatment plant. What we need is either a grant or a loan from the likes of the African Development Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), we need large sums of money," Chafesuka said.

He noted that the council must set up a new plant now, before the city is plunged into a serious water crisis.

"In the next 10 years, if the plan is not implemented, we will have a serious water crisis due to short supply.

"It is a must do project hence council is now concluding engagements with consultants earmarked to do a feasibility study for the new water treatment plant.

Chafesuka rapped the government for delays in authorising recruitment of more employees within Mutare's water section department.

"We need more employees in the water section department, where we have recurring pipe bursts.

"We have been trying to apply for authorisation since January without any success, despite that we have a serious crisis.

Last week, most suburbs in the border city ran dry for days and the council blamed the woes on ongoing repairs at Odzani Water treatment plant.

According to the 2022 national census results released last month Mutare has 224 802 people.