News / Local
Bulawayo tightens water rationing regime despite heavy rains
13 Mar 2016 at 07:15hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council has tightened its water rationing regime as it tries to conserve the city's water supplies amid revelations that despite the recent rains the supply dam levels still remain critical. The new schedule will see the local authority rationing water at hospitals and reducing the amount of water that can be used at police(image) stations, army barracks and prisons.
Speaking during a water crisis committee meeting last Thursday in the council chambers the local authority's director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube said the local authority was forced to tighten water rationing so as to avoid a possible water crisis in the city.
"High density suburbs are now entitled to 450 litres per day as at January down from 500 litres per day, the low density allocation has been reduced from 750 litres per day last year to 550 litres per day. Hotels, hospitals and clinics have their allocation now reduced from 100 percent to 90 percent average of water they used in the six month-period ending January 2016. Police stations, army barracks and prisons have their allocation reduced by 20 percent to 60 percent of average water of the six month-period ending January 2016," said Eng Dube.
He said the use of portable water for construction remains banned and new water connections to vacant stands and outside areas remain suspended. The penalty for breaching these allocations is $1,50 per litre.
Eng Dube further revealed that the city's supply dams were currently 40,5 percent full, which is a considerable drop of 19,92 percent when compared to the same period last year when they were 60,42 percent full. Upper Ncema is the only dam which has been decommissioned at 4,15 percent full.
"As at 8 March 2016, Insiza held 101 165 046 cubic metres of water representing 58,31 percent of its capacity while Mtshabezi had 36 583 000 cubic metres constituting 70,36 percent of its capacity. Other dams stood as follows: Inyankuni 14 039 850 cubic metres (17,38 percent); Lower Ncema 8 993 200 cubic metres (49,31 percent); Umzingwane 5 247 500 cubic meters (11,75 percent) while Upper Ncema at 1 885 600 cubic meters (4,15 percent) remains decommissioned," said Eng Dube.
Eng Dube said given the precarious water situation, the city was actively pursuing water augmentation initiatives among them the Epping Forest Project.
"This project will augment the city's current water supply with an additional 10 mega litres of water per day and it is estimated to cost about $4 million. Council passed a resolution and agreed to partner with Government and contribute towards the cost of implementing this project. Zinwa in liaison with the council have completed the tender for the invitation of bids towards the project implementation.
"Zinwa had set that by end of November last year the invitation of bids would be advertised in the local Press. However, Zinwa met BCC and advised that to circumvent unnecessary delays, the tender has to be a BCC tender and Zinwa will act as consultants. The BCC tender documentation has now been done and was advertised in the Sunday News edition of 6 March 2016," he said.
He said they were also refurbishing the existing Nyamandlovu boreholes. Eng Dube further revealed that the city had also embarked on water conservation strategies to conscientise residents and other stakeholders on the need to conserve water.
Speaking during a water crisis committee meeting last Thursday in the council chambers the local authority's director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube said the local authority was forced to tighten water rationing so as to avoid a possible water crisis in the city.
"High density suburbs are now entitled to 450 litres per day as at January down from 500 litres per day, the low density allocation has been reduced from 750 litres per day last year to 550 litres per day. Hotels, hospitals and clinics have their allocation now reduced from 100 percent to 90 percent average of water they used in the six month-period ending January 2016. Police stations, army barracks and prisons have their allocation reduced by 20 percent to 60 percent of average water of the six month-period ending January 2016," said Eng Dube.
He said the use of portable water for construction remains banned and new water connections to vacant stands and outside areas remain suspended. The penalty for breaching these allocations is $1,50 per litre.
Eng Dube further revealed that the city's supply dams were currently 40,5 percent full, which is a considerable drop of 19,92 percent when compared to the same period last year when they were 60,42 percent full. Upper Ncema is the only dam which has been decommissioned at 4,15 percent full.
Eng Dube said given the precarious water situation, the city was actively pursuing water augmentation initiatives among them the Epping Forest Project.
"This project will augment the city's current water supply with an additional 10 mega litres of water per day and it is estimated to cost about $4 million. Council passed a resolution and agreed to partner with Government and contribute towards the cost of implementing this project. Zinwa in liaison with the council have completed the tender for the invitation of bids towards the project implementation.
"Zinwa had set that by end of November last year the invitation of bids would be advertised in the local Press. However, Zinwa met BCC and advised that to circumvent unnecessary delays, the tender has to be a BCC tender and Zinwa will act as consultants. The BCC tender documentation has now been done and was advertised in the Sunday News edition of 6 March 2016," he said.
He said they were also refurbishing the existing Nyamandlovu boreholes. Eng Dube further revealed that the city had also embarked on water conservation strategies to conscientise residents and other stakeholders on the need to conserve water.
Source - sundaynews
