Council eases water crisis Supplies high-lying areas, schools, clinics and funerals

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has expanded the provision of water bowsers for high-lying areas, schools and clinics as well as at funerals in an effort to ease the water crisis affecting the city.

Council said the programme has always been available, but was intensified when water shedding started a few weeks ago. Institutions such as schools are supplied at a fee.

The local authority introduced a weekly 48 hour water shedding schedule before reviewing it to 72 hours last week as the amount of water in supply dams and reservoirs has gone beyond critical levels.

Councillors rejected the 72 hours water programme, but some residents are not having water for longer periods.

Council spokesperson, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said council had resolved to supply water to high lying areas to make life easier for residents.

She said the programme is meant to ensure that water is provided to suburbs in the event of prolonged delays in restoring water supplies. The affected areas include Pumula, Cowdray Park, Emganwini, Magwegwe, Nkulumane, Gwabalanda, Lobengula, Njube, Trenance and Khami Prison.

“The residents benefit from the programme as long as the water shedding is on-going. It is targeted at the high lying areas where water doesn’t reach within short periods when supplies are restored.

“We also target areas that have their services disrupted due to bursts and other operational challenges,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She said the water bowsers also supply funerals when the area is under water shedding.

“All requests for bowsers are done by the local councillor through the City of Bulawayo call centre. Bowsers follow the designated points indicated on the map only for the affected areas and not to individual houses,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She urged residents to take note of the designated points in their areas.

“In cases of emergencies, institutions such as schools and clinics are assisted when they do not have adequate supplies as we encourage them to store water in their tanks. For institutions, the water supplied is done at a fee,” said Mrs Mpofu.

Residents in Emganwini, Emakhandeni, Cowdray Park and some parts of Nkulumane have complained that the city council was not following its water shedding schedule as they were going for longer periods without water.

Mrs Mpofu said if the situation persists, drastic measures will be taken to conserve the little amount of water available in dams.

She warned residents against wasting and hoarding water, saying more stringent measures would be applied if consumers are found to be wasting it.

At the height of water shedding in 2013, Bulawayo residents went without water for up to four days in a week. — @pamelashumba1