River Valley Properties Edges Ahead With Sewer upgrade in Woodlands Park

By Midlands Correspondent

River Valley Properties is edging ahead with major rehabilitation of the sewer system in the Woodlands suburb of Gweru, as part of a comprehensive road and drainage improvement project ahead of a unique model to make the area a gated community.

The sewer programme aims to address issues like sewer blockages caused by dumped foreign objects and will compliment installation of a water tank for flushing the system.

The company is working to revamp the drainage system and has received positive feedback from residents.

River Valley Group Chief Executive Amb Prof Smelly Dube speaking at the sidelines of the major works, said flashing the sewer system will ensure durable smooth flow.

“The goal is to address infrastructure issues, particularly the frequent sewer blockages and back flows and in general this supports President Mnangagwa’s vision for descent accommodation under the national development goals.

“The rehabilitation includes installing flush mechanisms to clear foreign debris from the sewer and drainage systems. We are preparing to finally make Woodlands a gated community,” she said.

A water tank was in the past installed for flushing the system when council water is unavailable.

The project started around April 2025, with significant progress reported by July 2025 and the current works are expected to further increase effectiveness of the sewer rehabilitation.

Woodlands Park Residents have welcomed the initiative, with many expressing joy and relief from ongoing sewer problems.

The rehabilitation exercise is now 80% complete and is expected to be fully operational soon.

Ambassador Prof Smelly Dube highlighted that the old system was experiencing frequent sewer bursts due to a low carrying capacity and hence they took it upon themselves to upgrade the system’s main line.

Prof Dube was delighted with the positive results of the tests that were carried out on the new system and she further revealed that they had installed a flushing system that was connected to a solar powered borehole which will enable the system to be frequently flushed when the residential area experiences water rationing by the City of Gweru.

Eng Adonai Torerai said that the old line had 250 mm pipes and the new system now has 400 mm pipes installed over a distance covering 300 metres.

He emphasized that they rectified the carrying capacity as well as the gradient to enable a smooth flow and do away with siltation.

Prof Dube called on residents to desist from disposing used pampers in toilets as this would lead to blockages that result in pipe bursts.

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