Water shedding starts in Bulawayo

THE Bulawayo City Council has embarked on 10 hour water cuts in some suburbs mainly due to erratic electricity supply at its waterworks.

In a statement, the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube advised residents of the emergency interruption of water supplies to areas fed directly from Criterion and Magwegwe Reservoir and some surrounding areas.

"The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that there is an ongoing exercise to normalise Magwegwe Reservoir level. The level has been critical for the past three weeks, due to erratic pumping from Nyamandlovu Aquifer. The boreholes have been affected mainly by power failures.

"ZETDC is working to restore the power supply and therefore increases the boreholes pumping to the city. In a bid to manage water supply from the reservoir, council would like to advise that there will be an emergency interruption of water supplies to the areas fed directly from Criterion and Magwegwe Reservoir and some surrounding areas," he said.

Nkulumane, Nketa, Sizinda, Tshabalala, Bellevue, Newton West and West Somerton will experience water cuts on Tuesdays at 8PM and have it back on Wednesdays at 6AM. It will be cut again on Fridays and back on Saturdays same times.

In Emganwini and Pumula, water will be cut on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8PM and back on Fridays and Sundays at 6PM. Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni, Gwabalanda and Maplanka will have water cut at 8PM on Tuesdays and Fridays and back at 6AM on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

In Luveve, Magwegwe, Njube, Entumbane, Mpopoma, Lobengula, Mabuthweni, Iminyela, Pelandaba and Matshobane water will also be cut on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8PM and back on Fridays and Sundays at 6PM.

The town clerk said the programme is subject to change if the reservoir level improves or deteriorates beyond critical level.

"All the high areas that are likely to be affected for more than 24hours will have water supplied by bowsers.

"Residents are urged to conserve water until further notice," said Mr Dube.

In July, suburbs that included Manningdale, Waterford, Matsheumhlophe, Ilanda, Mahatshula, Riverside, Northend, Kumalo, Lochview, Killarney, Buena Vista, Burnside, Parklands and the City Centre went dry for more than 10 days following an electrical fault at Ncema Water Works.

Council said the fault was caused by theft of copper cables which resulted in the city council struggling to pump enough water for its residents. Copper cable theft is on the increase countrywide and the Government has blamed the vice for derailing implementation of its new projects.

ZETDC and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development recently said instead of advancing new projects it is forced to replace stolen equipment.