BCC to rehabilitate boreholes

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is set to rehabilitate boreholes across the city to improve water supplies while negotiations are underway to exempt the city from power cuts in areas where water pumps and reservoirs are located.

Bulawayo residents have been subjected to erratic water supplies largely due to power cuts.

The prevailing water supplies challenge has forced council to activate its water crisis committee and it held its first meeting yesterday at the Small City Hall.

What has worsened the city’s situation is that its supply dams have not filled up since 2017 when Cyclone Dineo hit Matabeleland South.

In his presentation during yesterday’s meeting, acting council director for Engineering Services engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube outlined the city’s dire situation.

He said council will decommission Lower Ncema Dam in July after which Umzingwane Dam will follow in August as both dams are less than 20 percent full.

He said the city’s  other supply dams are 59 percent full. Eng Ncube said due to a sharp decline in water levels, the local authority will continue to implement water shedding even if the power supplies improve.

He said power cuts have affected the city’s water supply as council is struggling to balance its supplies at its reservoirs due to prolonged load shedding.

“Even without these power cuts, we will still be forced to ration water because we do not have enough water in our dams. The water we have in our dams will not be able to sustain us until the next rainy season so we may be forced to introduce a 24-to-48-hour water shedding schedule,” said Eng Ncube.

He said when council decommissions Umzingwane Dam in August, it will definitely introduce water shedding because the volume of water will be reduced from 138ML per day to 121 ML.

Eng Ncube said aging infrastructure is also contributing to the city’s prevailing water crisis.

He said council will start rehabilitating boreholes to augment water supplies. The city requires two additional bowser trucks to enable the council to effectively provide water across the city.

“We have a team that will this week start rehabilitating boreholes across the city. We have 38 water kiosks and we are planning to decant and disinfect water from the water kiosks. We request additional bowsers. Our plan  is  to have six bowsers but at the moment we have four,” said Eng Ncube.

He said due to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company’s centralised power load shedding, some of the dedicated power lines for the city’s supply dams have been affected. He said engagements are ongoing to have a dedicated power line in the city’s pumping areas.  Eng Ncube said the council is working on an alternative power source to provide a permanent solution to the electricity problem.

Speaking during the same meeting, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube said she will bring to President Mnangagwa’s attention the power issue which is affecting the city’s water supplies.

“On issues that relate to council let’s make use of the mayor and when it comes to issues relating to Central Government make use of me. I did not know that our power cuts were now controlled from Harare,” she said.

“When the President comes it will be the first thing that I will inform about that affects us. We all represent the people and if we put the people first, we won’t go wrong.”

Minister Ncube said stakeholders in Bulawayo need to work together to address the water problem and avert a health disaster.

“We should not wait for the situation to get out of hand. We agreed on the borehole issue that the City of Bulawayo and District Development Fund should work together,” she said.

“We can’t sit back and say we once fixed the boreholes. We need to come up with possible ways and minimise the challenges that we have.”

Minister Ncube said council should also utilise devolution funds to drill boreholes and buy more bowsers.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni reaffirmed the need for stakeholders to work together in coming up with lasting solutions to the water crisis.

He commended Minister Ncube for participating in meetings aimed at solving the city’s water crisis.

“While we appreciate the suggestion on the need to utilise devolution funds to address water challenges, we have encountered challenges in getting those funds. We might need to forward our list to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works so that our procurement is done from there,” said Cllr Mguni.

He said council was concerned that Zesa load shedding schedule is controlled from Harare.

“Politicians should desist from politicising the water crisis through directing the deployment of water bowsers,” said Clr Mguni. — @nqotshili