Water crisis hits Cowdray Park

Bulawayo's Cowdray Park suburb is facing a severe water crisis as some residents are not receiving water due to the municipality's implementation of a water shedding regime. This crisis has perplexed councillors who are seeking clarification on previous plans to alleviate the situation, including drawing water from Lake Cunningham in Filabusi, Matabeleland South.

The city is enduring its worst water crisis in years, prompting council to announce plans for the construction of Glass Block Dam in Filabusi to augment water supplies from other dams. However, water demand in areas like Cowdray Park is outstripping supply, forcing residents to use unprotected wells, some of which are contaminated.

Councillors expressed frustration that plans outlined in previous studies, such as pumping water from Lake Cunningham to Ncema Waterworks, have not been implemented despite recommendations from government water consultant engineer Paul Kruger. Additionally, delays in documenting another potential water source, Bopoma Dam, have exacerbated residents' concerns over declining water service delivery.

The water crisis is compounded by poor rains linked to the El Niño-induced drought, leading to fears that more dams may be decommissioned. Umzingwane Dam has already been decommissioned, and Upper Ncema is slated for shutdown within two months.

City officials have urged swift repairs of burst water pipes to minimize water loss, noting delays in attending to leaks due to vehicle issues among other logistical challenges. Furthermore, only three out of seven water bowsers are operational, prompting the council to hire private water bowsers at potentially higher costs than repairing existing ones.

Despite the dire situation, the government has declined to declare Bulawayo a water crisis area, hindering the municipality's ability to mobilize additional funding for short and medium-term intervention projects.