Michell Zvanyanya, Chronicle Reporter 

THE Bulawayo City Council has started implementing measures to stretch out water supply as the decommissioning of a third supply dam looms.

Last November the local authority revised the weekly water shedding from 72 hours to 96 hours amid fears of the city running dry by June in the event it does not rain.

In his New Year message at the council chambers yesterday, the Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni said the overall dam levels in Bulawayo are now at 35, 4 percent. 

He said water supply will last up to April next year due to the 96-hour water shedding programme introduced by council. 

 “Due to the El nino and El nina effects and climate change, water supply challenges are currently being faced by the residents of Bulawayo. We remain hopeful for bountiful rains that will ensure that we provide adequate water supply to the residents. Our overall dam levels as of today are at 35,4 percent. The 96-hour water shedding schedule will help extend water supplies by up to 15 months,” he said. 

Cllr Mguni said this year the city council seeks to maintain the water shedding schedule while at the same time work on refurbishing Ncema Dam and Fernhill pump stations to improve supplies. 

 “In 2019 the city faced numerous challenges with pump breakdowns due to old age and power surges thereby affecting water supply. In our bid to provide quality services, we will be installing new electromechanical equipment at Ncema and Fernhill pump stations which will see the installation of new pumps for the raw water supply line at both stations. The new pumps will ensure reliability in the water supply system, improve efficiency and will utilise the Scada technology that allows for remote management of the systems. We will also attend to the protection of the equipment through installation of new circuit breakers that will safeguard the equipment against power surges,” he said. 

Cllr Mguni said the local authority will also finalise the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Projects (BWSSIP) which will result in the upgrading and renewal of water pipes in the city’s wards as well as replacement of 18 000 non-functional water meters in the Magwegwe and criterion reservoir zones.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the local authority expects to complete the Nyamandlovu Epping Forest project this year.

He said this will ensure that the water shedding schedule is maintained and not worsened in the event that the city does not receive adequate inflows. 

“So far we have decommissioned Upper Ncema and Umzingwane. In the near future we might also decommission lower Ncema. We are therefore carrying out the water augmentation strategy that seeks to improve the Nyamandlovu aquifer which is most likely going to give us 10 megalitres a day. It is giving us about four megalitres a day and we intend to increase to 15 megalitres. The Nyamandlovu Epping Forest project has the potential to give us 20 megalitres a day,” said Mr Dube. -@michellzvanyanyan2