'City reservoir needs about US$330 000 to improve water supply'

Bulawayo City Council has revealed that the city's Criterion Waterworks needs a capital injection of about US$330 000 to improve its pumping capacity.

City engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube yesterday said: "We require US$330 000 for that to happen. Lack of resources has resulted in the city's reservoirs experiencing unstable water
provision.

"Service reservoirs such as Tuli are experiencing unstable water supplies due to inadequate infrastructure. The distribution capacity is too small, therefore, demand is not being
met."

Ncube said there was need for more investments to be made to reduce water losses through leakages.

"The water distribution system could be improved with relatively small investments in Tuli and Criterion and in improving the reservoir control mechanisms and level monitoring," he said.

"To reduce overall leakage performance and to reduce the excessive consumption per capita per day, serious investments are needed in the distribution network and water meters. When it comes to the water system itself, we require some financial investments."

Ncube said water losses in the city could be reduced through awareness campaigns, waste water recycling and ground water abstraction.

"We need to explore other groundwater sources. In reducing water losses, we face a number of challenges such as failure to do customer billing, and physical losses of water at a time when it is scarce in the city."