Bulawayo’s dams hold 30 months water supply

Bulawayo City Council whose supply dams are 60 percent full says the water is enough to last the city 30 months.

According to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) statistics on dam levels, the city’s six supply dams were at an average of 60 percent full as at December 24, down from 65 percent recorded on November 6.

In its latest council report, the local authority said water in the dams can last the city up to 30 months even if it does not rain.

“The monthly average drawdown calculated using the period 2012-2014 when there were no inflows was about 8 million m3 per month. Using this figure for drawdown and usable storage of 244 million m3, the expected theoretical depletion period translates to 30,9 months,” read the report.

Lower Ncema Dam is at 59 percent full, Umzingwane is at 38 percent, Upper Ncema is at 25 percent while Mtshabezi Dam stands at 89 percent full.

Insiza Mayfair is 68 percent full while Inyankuni is at 64 percent.

Turning to water pumped from Nyamandlovu to Magwegwe reservoir, BCC said Zinwa was still repairing non-functional boreholes in an attempt to meet the target of 5 mega litres per day as agreed between the two parties.

“There are only 19 boreholes that are operational out of the 72 in Nyamandlovu with Zinwa promising to attend to the non-operational boreholes. If the Rochester Nyamandlovu boreholes were operational, water supply would be augmented to an average of 12 mega litres a day.

“The local authority said water treatment capacities for the city’s two water treatment plants were not at full operational capacity due to the breakdown of filters.

It said Ncema has a capacity of treating 80 000 mega litres per day while criterion was treating 110 000 mega litres instead of 180 000.

“At Ncema, five filters out of 20 were operational. Tender for Rehabilitation works for 12 filters was awarded to Tzircalle Brothers Private Limited pending supply of materials. Council was considering termination of the contract since contractor failed to deliver,” read the report.

The local authority said a termination notice had been drafted and approved by the legal department.

“At the Criterion 12 filters out of 16 were operational and mutual agreement was reached with contractor to terminate the contract,” read the report.

The council has of late embarked on temporary water shedding which has seen most suburbs in the Western areas going for three days per week without water as the council battles to normalise and manage water supplies at the Magwegwe Reservoir.

– @AuxiliaK