Most parts of Zimbabwe's capital Harare have gone for days without tap water due to a breakdown of equipment at the main treatment plant as well as poor quality of raw water.

Supplies were expected to start improving early next week as authorities implement several measures to alleviate the water challenges, the council said in a statement Thursday.

"We regret to inform our water customers of the on-going water challenges in the city," the council said. "Over the past few weeks our water production at Morton Jaffray has been depressed, averaging 272 megaliters per day against a normal daily average of 450 megaliters."

It said the shortages were due to several factors, among them poor quality of raw water, which has made the treatment process very difficult and resulted in the breakdown of equipment.

The poor quality followed delayed rains which normally help in diluting the water source, Lake Chivero.