News / National
48-hour water cuts in Bulawayo after mainline pipe burst
15 Jul 2022 at 04:05hrs | Views
A MAJOR water pipeline burst in Esigodini has forced Bulawayo City Council to announce an emergency week-long 48-hour water shedding regime starting today, affecting all suburbs and surrounding areas supplied by the city.
The burst pipeline connects Ncema Water Treatment Works and Criterion Water Treatment Plant in Burnside suburb.
As a result, all areas fed from the Criterion, 6J, Rifle Range, Magwegwe and Hillside reservoirs will be without water supplies for at least two days to pave way for emergency repairs.
Only industry, city centre and mining areas remain exempt from water shedding, Bulawayo town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said in a statement.
A news crew yesterday visited the burst Flowserve raw water pipeline yesterday afternoon near Ncema Dam in Umzingwane District where council workers were busy attending to the pipe.
Engineers were pouring mixed concrete cement mortar on top of the steel frames to prevent water from continuing to gush out.
The area around the affected pipeline was swampy due to the water spillage.
Most of the pipes including the KSB pumps were installed several years ago and are now worn out resulting in constant break downs.
Due to the damage, Mr Dube said taps will be opened twice a week at 7.30AM closing at 7.30AM the following day on scheduled days.
"The City of Bulawayo would like to advise the public that there will be interruption of water supplies due to a burst on the Flowserve raw water pipeline and the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP) G01/3 scheduled shutdown," he said.
"The introduction of an emergency 48-hour shedding programme for all areas fed from the Criterion Clear water reservoir, 6J, Rifle Range, Magwegwe and Hillside reservoirs as from 15 to 22 July 2022."
Mr Dube said the city is experiencing reduced raw water deliveries to Criterion Water Treatment Plant due the burst that occurred at one of the major raw water lines, the Flowserve pipeline from Ncema in Esigodini to Criterion in Burnside suburb.
He said council's technical team is working on the problem. Suburbs that are supplied by Criterion Reservoir such as Burnside, Bellevue, Newton West, Somerton, Montrose, Southwold, Sizinda, Tshabalala, Nkulumane, Nketa 6, 7 and 8, sections of Mpopoma, Old Pelandaba and Iminyela, will not receive water on Thursdays and Saturdays while taps at Nketa 8, Emganwini, Pumula South Phase 1 and 2 and Old Pumula will be closed on Mondays and Saturdays.
Pelandaba West (Glendening), Khami, Pumula North, Pumula East and Pumula South Phase 3 will not receive water on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Areas under Magwegwe Reservoir, which include Cowdray Park, Gwabalanda, Emakhandeni, Entumbane, Lobengula, Pelandaba West (Hawflight), Mabutweni, Mashobane, Njube, Luveve, Mpopoma, Old Magwegwe, New Magwegwe and Magwegwe North will be affected on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Those under Rifle Range Reservoir, which are: Harrisvale, Trenance, Richmond, Sauerstown, Barbourfields, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja and Makokoba will not receive water supplies on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
For suburbs that fall under 6J reservoir, that is Hillside, Fourwinds, Morningside, Barham Green, Greenhill, Mqabuko Heights and South Riding there won't be water on Thursdays and Saturdays while Ilanda, Romney Park, Paddonhurst, Bradfield, Tegela, Emhlangeni, Northend and Sunnyside under Hillside Reservoir will not receive supplies on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Mbalabala Barracks and Mzinyathini Irrigation Scheme, which receive raw water, will not get supplies on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Mr Dube said a four-day water shedding programme will be introduced for areas fed by Tuli Reservoir from 17-21 July 2022.
The areas include Lochview, Sunninghill, Marlands, Riverside, Selbourne Park, Fortunes Gate, Kingsdale, Killarney, Queens Park, Suburbs, Khumalo, Matsheumhlope, Imbizo Barracks, Willsgrove, Woodville, Glencoe and Parklands.
"This is a result of a scheduled shutdown under BWSSIP GO1/3 that will affect both clear and raw water pumping from Ncema. The public is also advised that there will be another scheduled shutdown from 17-21 August 2022," said Mr Dube.
Last month, BCC introduced a citywide 24-hour water shedding programme as the city's supply dam levels continue to decrease amid increasing demand.
The water shedding programme comes as BCC is set to decommission Umzingwane Dam due to low inflows in the poor 2021/22 rain season.
Bulawayo draws water from Inyankuni, Insiza, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Mtshabezi and Umzingwane dams as well as Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.
Umzingwane Dam
Government intervened by allocating resources for the rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest boreholes that improved water supply to the city.
While the rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest boreholes was seen as a mid-term solution to the city's perennial water problem, Government is in the process of constructing Lake Gwayi-Shangani and planned delivery of water to Bulawayo is set to present a permanent solution to the water problems.
Cowdray Park has been identified as the destination for water to be conveyed into the city from the Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline.
Already 11 contractors are on the ground digging tunnels for the 245KM Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline.
The burst pipeline connects Ncema Water Treatment Works and Criterion Water Treatment Plant in Burnside suburb.
As a result, all areas fed from the Criterion, 6J, Rifle Range, Magwegwe and Hillside reservoirs will be without water supplies for at least two days to pave way for emergency repairs.
Only industry, city centre and mining areas remain exempt from water shedding, Bulawayo town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said in a statement.
A news crew yesterday visited the burst Flowserve raw water pipeline yesterday afternoon near Ncema Dam in Umzingwane District where council workers were busy attending to the pipe.
Engineers were pouring mixed concrete cement mortar on top of the steel frames to prevent water from continuing to gush out.
The area around the affected pipeline was swampy due to the water spillage.
Most of the pipes including the KSB pumps were installed several years ago and are now worn out resulting in constant break downs.
Due to the damage, Mr Dube said taps will be opened twice a week at 7.30AM closing at 7.30AM the following day on scheduled days.
"The City of Bulawayo would like to advise the public that there will be interruption of water supplies due to a burst on the Flowserve raw water pipeline and the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP) G01/3 scheduled shutdown," he said.
"The introduction of an emergency 48-hour shedding programme for all areas fed from the Criterion Clear water reservoir, 6J, Rifle Range, Magwegwe and Hillside reservoirs as from 15 to 22 July 2022."
Mr Dube said the city is experiencing reduced raw water deliveries to Criterion Water Treatment Plant due the burst that occurred at one of the major raw water lines, the Flowserve pipeline from Ncema in Esigodini to Criterion in Burnside suburb.
He said council's technical team is working on the problem. Suburbs that are supplied by Criterion Reservoir such as Burnside, Bellevue, Newton West, Somerton, Montrose, Southwold, Sizinda, Tshabalala, Nkulumane, Nketa 6, 7 and 8, sections of Mpopoma, Old Pelandaba and Iminyela, will not receive water on Thursdays and Saturdays while taps at Nketa 8, Emganwini, Pumula South Phase 1 and 2 and Old Pumula will be closed on Mondays and Saturdays.
Pelandaba West (Glendening), Khami, Pumula North, Pumula East and Pumula South Phase 3 will not receive water on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Areas under Magwegwe Reservoir, which include Cowdray Park, Gwabalanda, Emakhandeni, Entumbane, Lobengula, Pelandaba West (Hawflight), Mabutweni, Mashobane, Njube, Luveve, Mpopoma, Old Magwegwe, New Magwegwe and Magwegwe North will be affected on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Those under Rifle Range Reservoir, which are: Harrisvale, Trenance, Richmond, Sauerstown, Barbourfields, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja and Makokoba will not receive water supplies on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
For suburbs that fall under 6J reservoir, that is Hillside, Fourwinds, Morningside, Barham Green, Greenhill, Mqabuko Heights and South Riding there won't be water on Thursdays and Saturdays while Ilanda, Romney Park, Paddonhurst, Bradfield, Tegela, Emhlangeni, Northend and Sunnyside under Hillside Reservoir will not receive supplies on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Mbalabala Barracks and Mzinyathini Irrigation Scheme, which receive raw water, will not get supplies on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Mr Dube said a four-day water shedding programme will be introduced for areas fed by Tuli Reservoir from 17-21 July 2022.
The areas include Lochview, Sunninghill, Marlands, Riverside, Selbourne Park, Fortunes Gate, Kingsdale, Killarney, Queens Park, Suburbs, Khumalo, Matsheumhlope, Imbizo Barracks, Willsgrove, Woodville, Glencoe and Parklands.
"This is a result of a scheduled shutdown under BWSSIP GO1/3 that will affect both clear and raw water pumping from Ncema. The public is also advised that there will be another scheduled shutdown from 17-21 August 2022," said Mr Dube.
Last month, BCC introduced a citywide 24-hour water shedding programme as the city's supply dam levels continue to decrease amid increasing demand.
The water shedding programme comes as BCC is set to decommission Umzingwane Dam due to low inflows in the poor 2021/22 rain season.
Bulawayo draws water from Inyankuni, Insiza, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Mtshabezi and Umzingwane dams as well as Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.
Umzingwane Dam
Government intervened by allocating resources for the rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest boreholes that improved water supply to the city.
While the rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest boreholes was seen as a mid-term solution to the city's perennial water problem, Government is in the process of constructing Lake Gwayi-Shangani and planned delivery of water to Bulawayo is set to present a permanent solution to the water problems.
Cowdray Park has been identified as the destination for water to be conveyed into the city from the Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline.
Already 11 contractors are on the ground digging tunnels for the 245KM Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo pipeline.
Source - The Chronicle
