Council commissions water chemical plant

The Bowser overall project goal is to make sure vulnerability to waterborne diseases is reduced in Bulawayo through improved sewerage and water supply systems.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Amen Mpofu, the Mayor, Clr Thaba Moyo, said the initiative to upgrade and rehabilitate the chemical dosing equipment at Ncema was made possible by the Australian government that availed $8,33 million for the project.
“The project we are commissioning today targeted the replacement of chemical dosing equipment at Ncema Water Treatment Works. It saw rehabilitative work being conducted on lime feeders for pre and post liming, alum dosers, chlorinators, stirrers and poly dosers,” said Clr Moyo.
He said Ncema was chosen to benefit from the programme as council had witnessed deterioration in the quality of water coming from the works.
“The declining quality was due to old and dilapidated equipment that was no longer mixing water treatment chemicals to the required dosage,” he said.
Clr Moyo said he was overjoyed by the fact that the rehabilitation work was carried out by a Bulawayo based company, Consolidated Engineers and Merchants (CEM).
He said Bulawayo would continue to explore interventions to ensure that the city maintained high standards of water production and continued having the best quality of water in the country.
He thanked AUSAID and World Vision Australia and Zimbabwe for providing the funding for the project.
“Lastly, I congratulate the contractor CEM for the excellent work and for ensuring that skills were transferred to council staff. This will ensure sustainability of the project,” said Clr Moyo.
He encouraged council staff and Bulawayo residents to safeguard the equipment from vandalism so that it would serve the city into the next century.
Bulawayo’s director of engineering services Engineer Simela Dube guided guests through a tour of the rehabilitated works.
Among the people who attended the event were the Town Clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, council directors, councillors, representatives from CEM, the Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura), World Vision Australia and World Vision Zimbabwe.