Chronicle Editor
The past three years have been difficult for Bulawayo residents.
They had to contend with dry taps for five days every week, with some not having piped water in their homes for many months. To get by, they would stock up when supplies were reconnected but for those with no running water for months, they had to ask neighbours for it or get from council bowsers or boreholes.
As a result of the water shortage, a number of residents in the western suburbs got sick after consuming dirty water, while others actually lost their lives.
Life had been truly unbearable since 2019 when council introduced a five-day water shedding programme.
However, the future looks better thanks to the heavy rains that have been falling across the country since October last year. The overall water level in the city’s supply dams has been improving as a result, encouraging the local authority to ensure residents have supplies for four days a week since Monday. They, however will still be without it for three days weekly.
Town clerk Mr Christopher Dube said council took the decision as the city’s dam levels had risen to 56 percent.
Dams across the country were 89 percent full as of Monday, a 50,7 percent increase from levels of September last year, according to the latest update from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Dams in the Sanyati Catchment were an average 106,9 percent full, Gwayi Catchment 100,6 percent, Manyame 72,4 percent, Mazowe Catchment, 77,9 percent, Mzingwane Catchment 83,4 percent, Runde 97,6 percent and Save 72,9 percent.
Bulawayo’s six supply dams all situated in Matabeleland South Province are 56 percent full having received 35 percent inflows since the start of the rainy season.
Insiza Dam is 66 percent full, Inyakuni is 56 percent, Upper Ncema 61 percent, Lower Ncema 40 percent, Umzingwane 30 percent and Mtshabezi 45 percent full.
“Between the end of October when the rains started and January 31, 2021, our dams gained 47.5% inflows only second to the 48.6% recorded at the end of January in 1974. The inflows are the second highest to be recorded between Oct and Jan since 1970,” Zinwa said.
For Bulawayo residents this presents a moment of relief. For some, this might seem too good to be true given the immense difficulty they had to live with for so long, apparently with no solution in sight.
However, they will still have to live with a few reminders that they are not out of the woods yet. That their taps will be dry for three days of water shedding every week is one of them. That water rationing remains is yet another.
Furthermore, they are advised to continue adhering to prescribed water consumption limits and those who flout them would be fined.
Those living in high density suburbs should not use more than 450 litres per day while low density suburbs should use a maximum of 650 litres per day. All residential flats with individual meters should not use water exceeding 400 litres per day.
The use of hose pipes for gardening purposes remains banned, the same for construction with potable water so consumers are urged to use boreholes and reclaimed water for those uses.
Therefore, as Bulawayo residents heave a sigh of relief, they are reminded to remain responsible in their use of water.
That being the case, we implore the local authority and the Government to intensify ongoing water supply optimisation and augmentation projects.
This means that replacement of leaky water supply pipes in the city must be ramped up while properties without meters must be equipped with them. Improvement of the pumping capacity from some of the city’s supply dams needs to continue too.
The Government has just invited companies wishing to apply for a job for the survey works for the 260km water pipeline route from Gwayi-Shangani Dam to Bulawayo to come up. This came after the Government this year allocated $4,5 billion towards the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project which is expected to be completed before the end of next year. Execution of this project must move a gear up.
So, yes the heavy rains have gone some way in quenching Bulawayo residents’ thirst, but they must keep being responsible in their use of water while the local authority and the Government intensify ongoing projects to improve supply.
Online Reporter