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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has started installing four water pumps, sourced by the Government, at Amapongobwe Dam to arrest a looming water crisis in the city.
The installation is set to be completed in the next two weeks.
In an interview yesterday, Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said the water supply situation was now dire as the city’s traditional water source, Gwenoro Dam, is on the verge of being decommissioned.
“We are expecting the installation process of the four water pumps sourced by the Government to be completed in two weeks. Right now the water situation is very bad until we install the pumps and we start receiving water from Amapongobwe Dam,” he said.
Clr Makombe said Gwenoro Dam is about 14 percent full and left with five or six percent of water that can be pumped.
Gweru City Council Engineer Robson Manatsa said once installed, they expect to increase pumping from less than 30 megalitres a day to more than 45 megalitres a day.
“We intend to approach the Government for more funds to rehabilitate the water treatment plant so that we are able to pump and treat at least 60mega litres of water a day to meet the ever increasing demand for water for the growing city,” he said.
Government last month intervened by sourcing the water pumps at a cost of US$440 000 and in the process saving the local authority from paying an outrageous US$6million for the same machines.
Council recently invited tenders for the procurement of the four new water pumps to be installed at Amapongobwe Dam – an alternative to the drying Gwenhoro Dam.
To avert a potential water crisis the local authority revealed that the lowest tender submitted had quoted US$6 million against a Government- assisted quotation of US$440 000.
GCC acting finance director, Mr Owen Masimba, recently told a supplementary budget consultative meeting that they needed US$6 million to purchase four water pumps for Amapongobwe Dam.
However, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo, addressing the National Assembly said GCC had made an outrageous tender for the four pumps.
“Council made a tender which was outrageous and required a lot of money, but we have now been able to get pumps that can pump more water than what was there.
“Because of the pumps that we are going to acquire from South Africa that are genuine, we are hoping to have those before the two months for use at Amapongobwe so that we can address the water challenges,” he said.
Online Reporter