Bulawayo's infrastructural dilapidation fuels erratic water supplies

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has acknowledged that continuous repairs to the city's water reticulation system are causing disruptions in water supply, particularly in residential, industrial, and central business district areas.

In a statement released yesterday, Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube explained that the city is grappling with water supply issues due to the aging infrastructure, which has resulted in inconsistent water delivery to residents.

Dube confirmed that repairs to the Umzingwane Raw Water pipeline at uMzinyathi were completed on March 27 this year. However, he noted that work on the Sulzer raw water pump remains outstanding.

"The Sulzer raw water pump repairs are still pending. Currently, the city is working on mobilizing the necessary materials to carry out these repairs," Dube stated.

He further explained that the malfunctioning Sulzer raw water pump is significantly impacting the city's ability to pump sufficient water. "The Sulzer raw water pump failure adversely affects the pumping capacity and raw water delivery to the city at Criterion and Burnside, as daily delivery is reduced by 48 million liters per day (ML/day)."

As of now, one pump set is operational, delivering about 56 ML/day, which is roughly half of the city's full pumping capacity.

Dube warned that until the repairs are completed, residents in various areas of Bulawayo will continue to experience erratic water supplies. "Residents in residential, industrial, and central business district areas will continue facing water shortages until services are fully restored," he added.

The BCC has urged residents to conserve water as they work to address the issues. However, given the scale of the problem and the technical complexities involved in the repairs, it remains unclear when normal water supplies will resume across the city.