Plumtree water supply dam in critical state

PLUMTREE'S main supply dam has almost dried-up owing to poor rains which were received during the last rainy season.

Addressing residents at a meeting here, Councillor Bakani Tshuma, said the local authority was getting its water from Mhlanga Dam which is located about 14 kilometres away, but due to the water crisis it is planning to turn to Mangwe Dam which is 56 kilometres away.

Tshuma said the local authority has an uphill task of rehabilitating the water pipe system to the new supply dam.

"The town's water supply is now in a critical state as Mhlanga Dam has almost dried up. Our next option is to turn Mangwe Dam into our supply dam. The challenge however that is the pipes to that dam have to be rehabilitated.

"Council is struggling to get this activity on track because of financial constraints," he said.

Clr, Maxwell Washaya, told residents that they owed council up to $1,040, 000 in unpaid water bills. He said council was owed over $3 million for all the other rates including water.

He urged residents to settle their bills in order to ensure uninterrupted water supplies.

Recently, the town council resorted to a massive water disconnection exercise in a bid to force rate payers to clear their debts.

The council later advised rate payers to pay 25 percent of their debts in order to be reconnected, but residents petitioned city fathers asking to be allowed to pay 10 percent of the required amounts.

"The petition was received but it has not been taken into consideration. In the meantime you are encouraged to pay 25 percent of what you owe in unpaid water bills so that the pipe system can be rehabilitated," said Plumtree Town Council chairperson, Paulos Vini Hobane.