Bulawayo supply dams have not received significant inflows since the start of the rainy season, the Zimbabwe National water Authority (Zinwa) has said.

Other dams in some parts of the country are spilling and yesterday, Zinwa said the national dam level is now at 62 percent.

ZINWA corporate communications officer Mr Tsungirirai Shoriwa said despite the increase, a number of dams were still below 50 percent.

He said Mtshabezi dam is now 30,3 percent full, Mzingwane 20,7 percent; Upper Ncema 29,2 percent; Lower Ncema 13,5; Inyankuni 38,3, and Insiza 45 percent full.

“While the improvement in dam water levels is a welcome development which points to improved water security for towns and cities as well as the 2021 winter cropping season, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority continues to appeal to all water users across the board to use the available water very sparingly. Some dams are still worryingly low and well below 50 percent,” he said.

Mr Shoriwa said Gwayi catchment areas has received the most inflows.

“As of January 4, 2020, the national dam level average had risen to 62 percent. Gwayi Catchment had a dam level average of 75.7 percent, Manyame 59.7 percent, Mazowe 41.9 percent, Mzingwane 59.4 percent, Runde 62 percent, Sanyati 94.5 percent and Save 55.6 percent,” he said.

Before Christmas, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni told journalists after special council meeting that the city was now in the process of recommissioning Umzingwane, Upper Ncema and Lower Ncema dams that had been decommissioned due to low water levels.Clr Mguni said the recommissioning of the city’s three supply dams is of high priority for Bulawayo.

He said under the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP), six new flowserve pumps have been supplied and installed at Ncema and Fernhill pump stations. But four of the six non-return valves (NRVs) failed due to design and manufacturing defects which has postponed the recommission of the dams.

The mayor said the NRVs have an important function to protect the pumps in that when a pump is switched off or when there is a power outage, the NRVs prevent backflow.

Clr Mguni said the contractor has been given a deadline of January 15 to come up with a temporary option while working on a permanent solution.