National dam levels at 50 percent

NATIONAL dam levels have dropped to just above 50 percent as the country is experiencing a heat wave while most parts of the country are still to start receiving rains.

The low dam water levels have seen most cities, including Bulawayo introducing stringent water shedding schedules to try and conserve the water available in their supply dams.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has since revealed that the crisis is now nationwide with the national dam levels standing at 53,5 percent full, a drop from 70,9 percent recorded during the same period last year.

Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga noted that the drop was a cause for concern.

“Water levels in the country’s major dams continue on a downward trend owing to the high temperatures and the absence of inflows. The national dam level average is 17,4 percent lower than the 70,9 percent recorded during the same week last year.

“Gwayi Catchment has the lowest dam level average of 43,1 percent, followed by Runde Catchment with a dam level average of 44,5 percent. Mazowe Catchment has the highest dam level average of 79,3 percent followed by Manyame Catchment with a dam level average of 76,1 percent, Mzingwane Catchment has a dam level average of 48 percent, Sanyati 52,7 percent and Save 64, three percent,” said Mrs Munyonga.

She said the water crisis had been further exacerbated by the significant rise of water usage hence she called on stakeholders to use water sparingly.

“The rise in temperatures is usually accompanied by a corresponding rise in the demand for water and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority appeals to all water users to use the available water very sparingly and very efficiently.

“Those using raw water from Zinwa managed dams are encouraged to ensure that their use is in terms of water abstraction agreements as required by the Water Act. Water abstraction agreements allow Zinwa to efficiently plan and allocate the available water among the competing uses,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga warned that using raw water for purposes other than primary purposes without the necessary water abstraction agreements constitutes a criminal offence and offenders are liable to prosecution.

“Anyone using such water without an agreement is advised to visit their respective catchment offices and sign the agreements,” she said.

According to the statistics of the 29 major dams in the country, 17 are used for water supply of which nine of these water supply dams are pegged at below 50 percent, with two dams already at under 10 percent.

Meanwhile, Bulawayo dam water levels have dropped to just 37,7 percent with one dam, Upper Ncema having been decommissioned and Umzingwane Dam likely to be decommissioned in the next few days.

According to statistics from the local authority’s public relations department, Upper Ncema now stands at 3,58 percent full while Umzingwane was at 6,52 percent.

Mtshabezi Dam with a carrying capacity of 51 996 000 cubic metres is 56,8 percent full, Inyankuni with a carrying capacity of 80 781 000 cubic metres is 54,6 percent full, Insiza Mayfair which has a carrying capacity of 173 491 000 cubic metres is 42,3 percent full while Lower Ncema which has a carrying capacity of 18 237 700 cubic metres is 26,8 percent full.

“Upper Ncema has been decommissioned and Umzingwane is soon to be decommissioned as well. Due to very high temperatures experienced this week, dam levels are depleting in volume at a faster rate. Further due to load shedding our reservoir levels are negatively affected,” noted the local authority.