Chronicle Editor
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Municipal Reporter
OLD Pumula residents, who have gone for over a year without running water will finally get supplies after the Bulawayo City Council installed new isolation and air release valves in the suburb to help improve supplies.
Three months ago, it was reported that despite the local authority reporting an improved water supply situation in the city, Old Pumula residents continued facing challenges as they last had water in March last year when BCC resorted to water shedding as the water situation in the city continued to deteriorate.
The local authority had blamed this on pipe bursts or clogged valves, with the corporate communications manager, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu saying their plumbers were trying to rectify. However, in statement Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said the water supply situation in the suburb will finally be resolved after the installation of new valves under the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP).
Mr Dube said among the major objectives of BWSSIP was to improve municipal water supply and sanitation services contributing to the improvement of the health and social well being of the population of the city of Bulawayo.
“One of the key components of the project is the mains upgrading, mains renewal, bulk and domestic meter replacement. The main objective of the water supply component is to ensure improved access to municipal water supply in the identified project areas by improving the efficiency of distribution networks in areas supplied by the Magwegwe and Criterion Reservoirs and reducing Non-Revenue water.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that we will be replacing Defective Isolation Valves and Air release Valves along the DN300 water mains pipeline in Old Pumula in order to improve the quantity of water supply in the areas serviced by this water mains,” said Mr Dube.
He said works are expected to be complete by today.
“During this time, residents are advised that there will be interruption of water supplies affecting the following areas: Old Pumula, Pumula South, Khami Prison, SAST Treatment Plant and Methodist Village,” he said.
Meanwhile, the local authority has recorded 40 cases of the diarrhoea outbreak in Emganwini, with revelations that to date one water sample collected in the suburb has been confirmed as being contaminated.
In an interview with Sunday News yesterday, the city’s health director, Dr Edwin Sibanda revealed that the outbreak has been contained and further encouraged the public to seek medical attention in the event that they developed symptoms.
“So far, we have recorded about 40 cases in Emganwini, however our challenge is that most of these people do not go to the clinics as of that figure we just have 20 people that came for medical attention.
“Our plea is that anyone who exhibits the symptoms goes to their nearest clinic as this will go a long way in us being able to contain this outbreak,” said Dr Sibanda.
Speaking during a media briefing last Tuesday, the Town Clerk, Mr Dube confirmed the water contamination in the suburb attributing it to the obsolete infrastructure.
“I know that samples were collected in the suburb and to date just one sample tested positive, which is what we are now working on addressing,” said Mr Dube.
In June last year, there was a diarrhoea outbreak in the nearby Luveve suburb, which killed 13 people and infecting nearly 2 000. Raw sewerage had contaminated drinking water. Last year in October about 100 people, mostly children, were treated for running tummies in Mzilikazi and surrounding suburbs.
Online Reporter