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BULAWAYO councillors have rejected calls to scrap water rationing and penalties on residents saying the city has to plan for possible future water shortage. Poor rains that were being experienced in the region for the past few years saw Bulawayo City Council enforcing a water rationing system that was escalated to water shedding in 2011.
Under the water rationing scheme, houses in the eastern suburbs were allocated not more than 350 litres per day, while those in the western suburbs were to use 300 litres. Heavy rains that were received this season were the best the city had recorded in decades resulting in greater inflows into its water supply dams.
Under water shedding the city’s residential areas went for up to four days without water. It was reduced when the wet spell of the past five months filled the city’s dams. A few weeks ago council stopped water shedding.
Speaking during a recent full council meeting councillors said water penalties prevented residents from wasting water.
“We received a 78 percent margin for the water in our dams but we needed our dams to be 80 percent full. Mtshabezi and Insiza were the only dams that were spilling.
“Inyankuni is only half full while the city uses about 130 thousand cubic millimeters a day. We have to plan ahead,” said Councillor Gideon Mangena.
The councillors also expressed concern over some residents who are still facing water shedding saying they were not benefitting like other residents.
“In Nkulumane 12, 240 homes are not receiving water. In Pumula South they only receive water for about 30 minutes a day” said the councillor for the area.
“The city continues to expand but the pipes used are the old ones. Funds permitting we need to build another water reservoir in Rangemore to supply those areas,” he said.
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