THE Municipality of Chegutu has assured residents and ratepayers that water coming out of its taps, although discoloured due to ageing infrastructure, is safe for household use.

The water, the local authority said, is however currently not safe for human consumption until such a time all muddy deposits clogging the reticulation system are cleared.

In a statement, Chegutu Municipality's Business Development and Communications Manager, Lovemore Mutsvanga, confirmed that council had taken the concerns seriously and instituted a probe on water quality.

"Following reports of coloured water coming from taps in parts of the residential areas, an investigation was conducted," said Mutsvanga.

"It was discovered that the council recently commissioned some sections of the rehabilitated old water networks. This has resulted in the scouring of stagnant water within the distribution lines, leading to coloured water from taps. Additionally, some sections have not received water for over a week, and with the increasing pumping pressure, those pipes may also temporarily produce coloured water.

"However, we advise that this coloured water is safe for other household use but not for human consumption, as it comes from the treatment plant and is fully treated water.

"Currently our team is conducting superpost chlorination to clear and disinfect the old pipe network. The water could be used for sanitary purposes. Residents and stakeholders are advised to let the water run for a short period. As pressure builds up, the discolouration will clear," he added.