Chronicle Editor
Vusumuzi Dube and Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporters
THE water crisis plaguing Bulawayo shows no signs of abating, as the local authority has admitted its inability to deliver emergency water service beyond the scheduled water shedding periods, raising fears of diarrhoeal disease outbreak.
The dire situation is exacerbated by the unavailability of water bowsers, leaving countless areas without access to a crucial lifeline. Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has introduced a daily water restoration schedule as guided by the availability of water in their reservoirs, which has seen residents having to endure over five days without water.
For some residents in areas such as Cowdray Park, the situation is even worse as some have reported going for over two weeks without the precious liquid. The local authority’s corporate communications manager, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, revealed that the city has one functional water bowser and it is only prioritising funerals. She revealed that with regards to some parts of Cowdray Park, there were challenges to water access as a result of limitations caused by the existing design reticulation.
“Most of the areas in Cowdray Park receive adequate water when the water shedding strategy is consistent. However, when there are maintenance challenges that involve having to shut down the whole of Cowdray Park upon supply restoration, high lying areas experience longer periods without water. This is due to the fact that the Bulawayo water reticulation system is gravity fed from the reservoirs to suburbs. This simply means water gravitates to lower areas first during supply and builds upwards to high lying areas last. In some parts of Cowdray Park, there are challenges to water access as a result of limitations caused by the existing design reticulation. The City is currently working on making strides to improve water supply in some parts with water stress through the installation of new isolation valves and water mains extensions,” said Mrs Mpofu.
Regarding the water bowser situation, Mrs Mpofu revealed that the local authority was in the process of hiring external bowsers.
“At the moment the City has only one functional bowser which only priorities funerals. In normal situations when we have more bowsers on the ground these are our bowser points in problematic areas (addresses in Cowdray Park); 10778, 10800, 10570, 9410, 10994, 9974, 15990, 16060 and 67008 just to mention a few. Council has started the processes of hiring external bowsers to try and alleviate the situation,” she said.
The council spokesperson encouraged schools to invest in storage tanks and boreholes for non-potable use, to mitigate in times of longer shedding periods.
“Cowdray Park has seven primary schools and three secondary schools. Most of these schools are located in areas where if water supply is on they receive water adequately. With the long term and frequent water challenges in the City it is therefore encouraged for schools to invest in storage tanks and boreholes for non-potable use, to mitigate in times of longer shedding periods. The City of Bulawayo has a water shedding strategy for Cowdray Park and due to its size the area has been sectionalised into two shedding zones thus Cowdray Park Hlalani Kuhle area and the old Cowdray Park. This was necessitated by trying to gravitate more water in the areas in quick succession,” she said.
Ward 28 councillor, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu said to alleviate the water crisis in the suburb he has since facilitated the availability of privately-owned bowsers and also initiated the use of city council schools as water distribution points.
“At this point, only high-lying areas are yet to receive their supplies which we are working flat out to make sure they receive water supplies. I am firmly dedicated to ensuring that a long-lasting solution is achieved, one that will not only address the current water crisis but also prevent such problems from arising in the future.
“The welfare and well-being of Cowdray Park’s residents are of utmost importance to me, and I will do everything within my power to address this issue and guarantee access to safe and reliable water,” he said.
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