Kadoma turns to retirees

Blessings Chidakwa in Kadoma
KADOMA has turned to retired workers with institutional memory of the city’s water system following loss of water reticulation maps amid concern that perennial water challenges in the city could be a result of closed valves.

Staff members have been unable to identify the water valves around the city after the water reticulation maps went missing.

Council officials have since started touring areas facing water challenges with former council workers who still have institutional memory of the water system and maps.

City fathers suspect that water was being lost through leakages owing to closed valves as the city was pumping 24 megalitres of water per day, which appears not to be sufficient.

The capacity was expected to increase to about 60 megalitres when new suburbs like Pixicombie and Victory Park are connected to the city’s water lines.

“We are pumping a lot of water daily, but there are areas still failing access to water,” said the city’s mayor, Councillor Action Nyamukondiwa.

“Some of the areas used to get water way back.

“We have since approached former employees including Messrs Forbes Mtetwa and Zachariah Banda, who laid pipes decades ago so that they can assist us locate our valves and water lines.”

Cllr Nyamukondiwa said technocrats and residents who could assist in identifying some of the water valves should also approach the city officials.

He said apart from rehiring old staff, he was moving around wards on Thursdays and Fridays together with his deputy and the engineering department, identifying some of the enclosed valves with assistance of the affected residents.

“We are engaging the community and they are assisting us to identify valves and lines that council officials used to attend to way back,” said Cllr Nyamukondiwa.