Vusumuzi Dube
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
A health hazard is looming in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb with over 100 houses having sewage coming out of their water taps.
The residents, from the Nkulumane 5 section of the suburb, have claimed that Bulawayo City Council engineers come to fix their problem but the situation reverts within a couple of days after being rectified. In 2020, the city was hit by an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases- typhoid and dysentery- in Luveve suburb, which saw 13 people succumb to the water-borne diseases after 2 000 cases were reported.
That was after the residents’ water was contaminated with sewage. Sunday News visited the affected areas yesterday and discovered that in one of the areas, a sewer pipe burst into a water pipe which is also leaking which therefore results in sewage flowing into the water pipe. The residents revealed that this has been going on unabated for over two years, with the local authority proffering no long-lasting solution. The news crew observed that water is flowing into the toilet cistern and coming out of the water taps.
In some instances, the water is smelling of sewage, with the residents revealing that whenever the local authority avails them water via the water shedding schedule, the least they could do was water their gardens.
“This has reached another level because we no longer drink whatever water the council provides to us, sewage comes out of our water taps, even in the toilet cisterns we get sewage water, therefore meaning we have to find alternatives to flush our toilets.
“If we get water for maybe two days in a row that is when it clears up of the green sludge but still it will be carrying a heavy stench of sewage such that still it can’t be consumed,” said Mr Martin Moyo.
Another resident, Mr Norman Ncube revealed that they had come to the conclusion that the entire system needed an overhaul as whenever council workers fix the bursts, within two to three days the two pipes burst again.
“As it is these council guys were here just two weeks ago but within a few days the situation had reverted to this. Look, this is very straightforward, when two pipes have huge leakages like these ones, water and sewage will flow into each other hence the situation which is prevailing. I feel what is required is a complete overhaul of these pipes and replacing them with new ones because it is clear that these pipes are no longer fixable.
What is frustrating is that we are paying for water that we are not using and further we will be paying with our lives because we are all staring at an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases,” said Mr Ncube.
Contacted for comment the ward councillor, Arnold Batirayi professed ignorance, but promised to investigate the matter and ensure council officials address it.
“To be honest I have not received that report from the ward but I am immediately visiting the area to investigate,” said Clr Batirayi.
City of Bulawayo Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube said he was out of office and will be in a position to comment once he had a full report on the matter. In the Luveve water contamination scenario in 2020, the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association filed a class action civil suit with the High Court suing the local authority for failing to provide safe water for consumption as required by the Urban Councils Act of Zimbabwe.
The residents argued the local authority supplied the plaintiffs and residents with water contaminated with faecal matter, coliform bacteria and water that was visibly discoloured, mixed with solids, odoriferous and clearly unfit for human consumption.
Online Reporter