Source: Khanyile Mlotshwa, NewsDay
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has announced a 72-hour water shedding regime and promised more “drastic measures to continue to conserve the little amount available in the dams.”
Senior public relations officer for the country’s second largest city that has perennially battled water shortages, Nesisa Mpofu said the move was caused by a cocktail of factors, chief among them, the dwindling availability of the precious liquid.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise residents that this (non-adherence to timetable) was necessitated by the need to increase the levels for Magwegwe Reservoir which supplies most of the Western areas and Tuli Reservoir, supplying most of the eastern areas, which had gone below their critical levels,” Mpofu said.
“As a result this affected the water pressure in suburbs that had been reconnected with water supplies especially those which were in high lying areas. We have revised the water shedding schedule to 72 hours.”
Mpofu said dam levels continue to deplete at a faster rate due to the current heat wave.
“There is still a deficit of about 48 megalitres per day under the 48-hour shedding hence the need to review to 72hrs,” she said.
“The City of Bulawayo faces numerous operational challenges within the system including power cuts by ZETDC that continue to hamper the continuous pumping from the supply dams and bursts along the major conveyance lines. Liaison with ZETDC is continuous to minimize the power cuts which sometimes are beyond their own control.”
The senior public relations officer said there are major and frequent breakdowns on the Mtshabezi dam where “there has been no pumping for the almost one week since the shedding time.”
“This supply is supposed to add to the water supply since Umzingwane Dam has been decommissioned,” she said.
“The water supply from Nyamandlovu is still very low at an average of 2,5 megalitres per day giving the city more stress to the current supplies. ZINWA is on the ground to increase the capacity to almost above 5 mega litres per day.
“The above issues have, however, hampered the water distribution in the city by depleting almost all the water in the service reservoirs. The proposed programme will try and enhance building up pressure within the city and normalise the situation.”
Mpofu reiterated calls that residents should avoid hoarding water in drums as the water rationing is not lifted.
“The ration limits will still be in place and maybe further reduced if the situation persists,” she said.
“Penalties will still apply to those who will exceed their limits. Persistent consumers who will be continuously above their water usages limits will be faced with water restrictors inserted at their premises. This will only let water trickle to that limit as stipulated.”
Source: Khanyile Mlotshwa, NewsDay