Byo water crisis worsens

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has been forced to suspended water suppies to most of the city owing to reduced pumping capacity at the Ncema Dam plant where there are ongoing maintenance works, plunging the city into a crisis.

Residents of high-lying areas had already endured two weeks without water before the latest suspension of the 120-hour water rationing programme.

The local authority, however, said industrial areas and the Central business district would remain exempted from water suspension despite the crisis.

Bulawayo town clerk, Christopher Dube, said ongoing repairs and maintenance works at Ncema led to extended water supply interruptions.

“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public of the extended water supply interruptions and suspension of the 120-hour (rationing) to all city areas except industry and central business district which was initially scheduled to finish on Friday, due to unforeseen circumstances, the repairs and maintenance works at Ncema have taken longer than planned,” Dube said.

“The city will continue to experience reduced raw water pumping, which in turn will cause a reduction in treated water production during the scheduled time.”

Dube said water supplies would be restored after the reservoirs were fed and stabilised.

“To protect the reservoirs from collapsing due to reduction in raw water deliveries and treatment, the City of Bulawayo will irregularly open water supplies to alleviate communities from stretching too long without water,” Dube said.

The council introduced the 120-water-rationing schedule late last year.

BCC has urged the government to declare the city a water shortage area to allow the local authority to mobilise resources for short to medium-term interventions.

Government has not acceded to the request.

A resident of Pumula East, Brian Ndabeni, bemoaned the water challenges amid a cholera outbreak.

“We have gone for 13 days without water,” Ndabeni said.

Another resident, Edson Mhlanga, said it was unfortunate that ratepayers continue to receive questionable bills despite going for weeks without water.

“We are being billed for water which we are not using,” he said.