Vusumuzi Dube
Vusumuzi Dube , Online News Editor
BULAWAYO has started experiencing an indiscriminate interruption in water supply with no timelines given for resumption of ‘normal’ supplies following an electrical fault at Criterion waterworks on Thursday.
The development has led to the suspension of the 72-hour water shedding schedule that residents have been enduring owing to dwindling levels at the city supply dams with council promising to revert to water shedding once the fault has been rectified.
The city’s town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said in a notice that water supplies would be cut citywide including in industrial areas and would only be restored after the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) rectifies the power supply fault.
“The public is hereby informed of the suspension of the 72-hour shedding programme and closure of water supplies to all city areas. This is due to a ZESA power supply fault to Criterion that occurred on Thursday 12 October at 8pm. To protect the city’s supply reservoirs from collapsing as ZETDC is still working on rectifying the fault, water supplies to all City Areas are closed till power supply is restored at Criterion waterworks and water treatment resumes,” said Mr Dube.
Meanwhile, city councillors have made loud their calls for the construction of another supply dam while Government is working on the completion of Lake Gwayi-Shangani and the pipeline to the city. The city has been battling water shortages with the situation expected to be dire following the pronouncement of an El Nino forecast.
The city has six supply dams, namely Umzingwane, Insiza Mayfair, Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema, Inyankuni, Umzingwane and Mtshabezi.
Speaking during a full council meeting held recently, the chairperson of the future water supplies and water action committee, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said there was a need for the city to urgently look at the construction of Glass Block Dam on the Umzingwane River. The dam was first mooted in 2015 by the then Ministry of Water, Climate and Environment and was estimated to cost US$100 million.
“The construction of the Glass Block Dam on the Umzingwane River which is 20 kilometres west of Filabusi should be taken up. This dam will provide Bulawayo’s extrapolated water demand to 2054. The Glass Block Dam water is less than 20 percent of the cost of water from the Gwayi-Shangani project.
“The dam and pipeline design is complete and construction will cost an estimated US$100 million, water can be delivered to Bulawayo within 30 months from a go ahead. The project currently rests with the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency and the impasse is related to an off-take agreement between the dam owner, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, and the end-user being the Bulawayo City Council,” said Clr Ndlovu.
Speaking at the same meeting, the city’s mayor, Clr David Coltart said as part of the water action priorities, there was a need for the engineering services department to avail them with a detailed report on the state of the Nyamandlovu Aquifer.
He said it was important for council to explain why the aquifer was operating at 10 percent of its built potential.
“We need a report on the current state of Nyamandlovu Aquifer, we need to know how many boreholes are functioning and how many are not. In this report it should be stated the cause of those that are not functioning; is it because of boreholes, piping or electrical components that were stolen and what it will cost to replace that equipment.
“My understanding is that the Nyamandlovu Aquifer is running at 10 percent of its capacity, which is really worrying therefore it needs to be our priority that we get Nyamandlovu functioning before this year’s rain season,” said Clr Coltart.
“We also know that there are existing plans for the duplication of the Insiza to Ncema pipeline, tied to that is the renovation of the Ncema water treatment plant. I am also told that the pipeline from Mtshabezi to Umzingwane is insufficient as it was badly designed. Finally, we need to be looking at the Tuli reservoir to double its capacity,” added the mayor.
Online Reporter