Bulawayo industry, CBD exempted from water shedding

THE Bulawayo City Council has exempted industry and the Central Business District (CBD) from water shedding although the move might be changed depending on the situation in the supply dams.

The local authority introduced water shedding with effect from 27 July after the city water situation continued to deteriorate.

The authorities have tightened water rationing and introduced a water shedding schedule that will see residential areas going for 24 hours without water, twice a week, in a bid to stretch out supplies until the next rain season.

According to the latest council minutes, the Bulawayo City Council has, however, resolved to exempt industry and the CBD.

"There is need to develop a database of  industries which fall within the residential areas as these may be affected by water shedding. A senior technical officer will be in charge of industries that fall within residential areas and submit the list of those that could be affected by water shedding such as Old Nick Mine and Chibuku Breweries. These are currently exempted although they may be affected in due course as the water supply situation remains dire," read part of the minutes.

There was hope that the Mtshabezi-Umzingwane pipeline link, that is 87 percent complete, would salvage the water crisis following the dwindling water levels in the city's supply dams.

But the legal wrangle over the electrification of the pump station has cast doubts on whether the pipeline would not suffer any delays.

BCC introduced water shedding following the decommissioning of Upper Ncema Dam leaving the city with four supply dams, namely Insiza, Inyankuni, Lower Ncema and Umzingwane, supplying the city.

Currently the water levels at the supply dams have dropped to an average of 43,1 percent of their holding capacity.

Last week the council set up a water crisis stakeholders' committee to devise ways of addressing the city's deepening water crisis after efforts to expedite completion of the Mtshabezi-Umzingwane pipeline project, touted as a short-term solution to the city's water woes seemed to have hit a snag.

The National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP) is viewed as the permanent solution to the perennial water crisis in Bulawayo.

Comments