38 hours of tap water per week for Bulawayo as water crisis deepens

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has further tightened the city water loading schedule following last Wednesday’s decommissioning of Upper Ncema Dam as it tries to conserve depleting water resources.

Bulawayo was under a 120-hour weekly water shedding programme and effectively from tomorrow the city will be implementing a 130-hour weekly shedding programme.

This means residents will only receive water for less than two days per week.

Upper Ncema dam becomes the second dam to be decommissioned as Umzingwane Dam was decommissioned last year in November.

Bulawayo is experiencing acute water challenges due to low water levels on the city’s supply dams as latest data showed that the city’s water bodies were 28 percent full.

In a statement, acting Town Clerk Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said due to the tight water schedule the council would be reviewing days when residents will be receiving water.

“The City of Bulawayo on Wednesday, 2nd October 2024 decommissioned the Upper Ncema Dam which had critically declined to 2,08 percent, reaching a “dead water” state. This marked the second dam that the City has had to decommission following the decommissioning of the Umzingwane Dam in November 2023,” said Mrs Zhou.

“The current water situation has also necessitated that the City increases the number of hours of water shedding from 120 hours to 130 hours with effect from Wednesday, 9 October 2024.”

She urged residents to use water sparingly as the city is in a precarious position.

“Simple measures such as fixing leaks, minimizing water use for non-essential tasks, and reusing water wherever possible can make a significant impact,” she said.

Mrs Zhou said the city is exploring alternative water sources and strategies to address the ongoing water scarcity challenges.

She said due to the prevailing crisis the council also does not guarantee adherence to the set water shedding time table.

“Although all attempts will be made to adhere to the provisional schedule, it is subject to change without notice in case of emergency and operational challenges as the city continues to work towards stabilising the water system,” she said.

-@nqotshili