Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GWANDA Municipality is set to conduct a water audit, an exercise that the local authority hopes will improve water supply in the town by ensuring that water, which is pumped from the treatment plant is accessed by residents in all suburbs with minimum losses.
Gwanda mayor, Councillor Thulani Moyo said during the exercise, which is likely to last for four months, teams will be moving around the town to inspect the condition of underground water pipes, valves and pumps among other equipment.
He said the project is crucial, as it will help to address water challenges in the mining town.
Clr Moyo said residents in some suburbs are not receiving enough water.
“The water audit will help us to investigate three main areas namely the distribution of water, the non-revenue water and verification of accounts and account details. There have been concerns from residents, who say water sometimes doesn’t reach their areas,” said Clr Moyo.
“We buy from Zinwa 220 000 cubic litres of water per day for consumption and we now have to check how much of this water gets to the people. We want to physically trace the water from the source, as raw water to purification, reservoir and then to distribution.”
Clr Moyo said there is a likelihood of non-revenue water that is being lost along the chain through pipe bursts.
He said their teams will physically move around to inspect and supervise the water distribution process.
“If certain areas are not receiving water ,the audit exercise will tell us the reasons behind that. This could be issues to do with the gradients, size of pumps or underground spillages,” said Clr Moyo.
“We have cases where people connected water illegally to bypass metres and they are not paying for water. They get their water straight from the ground to their houses.
“The water audit will help us to address issues of people who are complaining of being billed yet they would not have received the water.”
Clr Moyo said the exercise will go a long way in assisting Gwanda Municipality to address the issue of service delivery.
“We want water to be distributed evenly in the town. A report containing the findings of the water audit will be produced,” he said.
Clr Moyo said a plan will be produced, stating how the anomalies in water provision can be addressed.
He said the move is part of efforts by the council to develop a standardised modern water distribution system.
The water audit is part of the process by the municipality, of developing a Climate Resilient Integrated Urban Water Management master plan, which will help the council to improve service delivery in water and sanitation hygiene.
The master plan, which will span for 10 years, will help to address water supply challenges faced in the town.
The master plan will address key issues such as the capacity of required treatment plants, the number of reservoirs needed in the town and sizes among others.
“The overall project goal is to provide Gwanda Municipality with an innovative and integrated climate resilient master plan that will ensure the sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” said Clr Moyo.
“It will ensure improved well-being of Gwanda’s population through the provision of equitable and sustainable water supply and waste management services.”—@DubeMatutu
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