New dam for Bulawayo

OWN CORRESPONDENT 

The Bulawayo City Council intends to build a new dam as part of its efforts to address the city’s water crisis, the chairperson of the Future Water and Action Committee , Edwin Ndlovu, has said.

It comes at a time when residents are enduring water crisis  and are subjected to  more 72 hours  water shedding in a week.

“The water situation in the city is very dire. We need to up our game and come up with immediate solutions. We propose to construct another dam to complement the existing ones. We have seen the water levels, they are very low. This tour has shown us the water levels in our supply dams and we have seen their capacity but it cannot save the City of Bulawayo which has grown over the years.

“So as the Future Water and Action Committee we propose that we construct a new dam. We currently have a proposal to construct the Glass Block dam in Filabusi which could supply at least 70 percent of our water requirements in the city. So basically that is our short to medium term plan,” Ndlovu said.

Currently, Bulawayo draws water from Inyakuni, Insiza, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Mtshabezi and Umzingwane dams as well as Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.

Recently, the Bulawayo City Council decommissioned the uMzingwane dam in Umzingwane district, and Lower Ncema due to dwindling water levels in the reservoir.

According to Ndlovu, there wouldn’t be enough water in the dams to last six months.

“In the previous council, it was said that the water that is left may sustain us for six months only but according to the law we need to leave a certain amount of water that will keep aqua life alive so technically speaking the water might not even reach the six months. We are in serious trouble as a city if we do not get enough rain.

“We also need to address the issue of supply of materials. As residents, we have to play our part by paying our bills on time. Without adequate materials, it becomes difficult to attend to some of the challenges that contribute to water shedding, “said Ndlovu.

Council members in Bulawayo recently stated that mining companies ought to be held responsible for the destruction of important public infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, and roads, caused by illicit mining operations at the city council dams.

“From what we have seen, unfortunately, we must maintain the water shedding because our dams are low. And, we have to be mindful that sometimes we have electricity outages, which affect the current water schedule and result in some residents spending more time without water.

“Sometimes it will be an issue of water pipe bursts. If that occurs, we have to shut down the whole area that is affected until the situation is resolved,” said BCC Corporate Communications Manager Nesisa Mpofu.

She said new equipment was needed to help in the pumping of water to residents.

“Secondly we need to buy new pumps. At Umzingwane only one out of four pumps is working. We do have water but our pumping capacity is below what we require. The short term can be getting new pumps and the medium term can be the construction of a new dam.

“The pumping system needs to be improved as a matter of urgency and we also need to pray that we can get better rains so that the water level can improve, “ she said.