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supposed to draw daily from Mtshabezi Dam because generators cannot pump continuously, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo has said.
The city started pumping water from the dam mid last month following the completion of the Mtshabezi pipeline project.
Clr Moyo said the city was pumping about 3 300 cubic metres a day.
The target is to pump 17 000 cubic metres a day which will reduce the four-day water shedding by 24 hours.
“The situation is still the same. We cannot pump the planned 17 000 cubic metres because we are using generators which cannot pump continuously.
“We can only pump the 17 000 cubic metres when the pipeline is connected to electricity but we do not know when that will be done. You can talk to the Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo.”
Clr Moyo said the city fathers were going to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss whether or not to review the four-day water shedding schedule.
“That meeting would be held on Tuesday next week,” he said.
Dr Nkomo could not be reached for comment as he was reportedly locked in a meeting the whole day.
However, his personal assistant Mr Butholezwe Nyathi said the connection of electricity to the pump house was nearing completion.
“Drawing water from Mtshabezi Dam will be in full throttle after the connection of electricity to the pump house.
“At the moment the project to connect power is at 90 percent,” said Mr Nyathi.
The city council introduced water shedding in all suburbs in July last year in a bid to conserve the limited supplies in the city’s supply dams.
Bulawayo is said to be operating with a deficit of about three supply dams. A dam is supposed to be constructed every 10 years to cater for an increasing population.
Only Mtshabezi Dam, viewed as a short-term solution to the problem, has been constructed in the last 36 years but the dam was not meant for Bulawayo.
Insiza Dam was the last supply dam to be built for Bulawayo in 1976.
The permanent solution to Bulawayo’s perennial water crisis is viewed as the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which has been on the drawing board since 1912 but its implementation has since started.
Online Reporter