Does the current water shedding mean a broken system in the BCC?

This year so far has not only been struck by the long hours of load shedding but water is being cut constantly with people having to go at least 72 hours without water in the city of Bulawayo.


This has been ongoing since the month of August this year and since then the hours have only increased to even a whole week without water in some suburbs.

BCC claims that water levels in the supply dams are not so bad, they are enough.

The Bulawayo town clerk Mr Christopher Dube in an interview last week linked the water shedding to the load shedding which has mercilessly struck the town.

Dube indicated that without a supply of electricity from the ZETDC it is a hard task to treat and pump water into Bulawayo, especially with Ncema and Fernhill affected, which are the two power supplies of water in Bulawayo.

Since the load shedding has only gotten worse, most suburbs like Gwabalanda and Pumula have gone up to a whole week without a drop of running water.

Could this be a result of the worsened load shedding rate that the ZESA pins on the low water levels in the electrical supplying Dam Kariba?

Nevertheless, people continue to suffer as most complain of a non-fixed routine.

One resident from Cowdrey Park complained that "it would have been better if they (BCC) had a fixed routine so that we always have water stored in containers. Unfortunately they never even announce."

Most residents from Cowdrey Park have since given much gratitude to local schools with boreholes of which they have to queue up for water.

Some have given credit to the recently constructed Celebration Church whose borehole system depends on its powerful solar system.

Similarly, other suburban residents have paid much gratitude to similar institutions found in their local communities.

Just yesterday a source revealed that members of the Council were moving around homes cutting down water supply for everyone who is indebted to them.

One resident from Nkulumane said, "it is unfair for us to continue paying for water that is never there, same with the electrical bills."

Another resident protested against the BCC that their system was broken and called it retarded as she has never skipped payment but however her bill keeps increasing especially since she stays alone most of the time.

As of yesterday, more than 100 people, each representing their homestead, were queued up outside the Tower Block to either pay or for most of the people lay a complaint against the insane bills which contradict their water utilisation.