BCC starts feasibility study for Matopos, Umganin aquifers

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has initiated a feasibility study aimed at identifying potential aquifers in the Matopos and Umganin areas, marking a significant step toward addressing the city's ongoing water shortages. The local authority has issued a tender for hydro-geologist survey services to assess the viability of these underground water resources.

Hydro-geological surveys are essential for determining groundwater levels and identifying potential sources of sustainable water for urban areas. The BCC has pinpointed the Matopos and Umganin regions as key areas for potential aquifer development as part of its long-term strategy to secure water supplies for the city.

This latest development follows the council's earlier announcement in August, which indicated that feasibility studies would explore the possibility of tapping into suburban aquifers to alleviate the city's perennial water challenges. The city has been grappling with dwindling water levels at its major supply dams, which have been further exacerbated by poor inflows during the previous rainy season. To bridge the gap, Bulawayo is already extracting over 10 megalitres of water per day from boreholes in the Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.

The council's recent tender notice, released on Sunday, invites suitably qualified firms and individuals to bid for the provision of hydro-geologist survey services in the Umganin and Matopos areas. A non-compulsory briefing for interested parties will be held on November 14, 2024, with the tender closing date set for December 3, 2024.

"The City of Bulawayo invites suitably qualified firms and individuals for the provision of Hydro-geologist Survey Services for Umganin and Matopos Aquifer," the tender notice states. "A non-compulsory tender briefing shall be held on 14 November 2024 at the Municipal offices, the closing date of the tender is 3 December 2024."

Bulawayo's water supply situation continues to deteriorate, and the city is looking for ways to tap into potentially huge underground water reserves. Mayor Councillor David Coltart has previously mentioned the possibility of using 2,000-meter drilling rigs to explore and exploit aquifers beneath the city as part of a comprehensive strategy to address the water crisis.

The situation has become increasingly urgent as Bulawayo's water supply continues to shrink. According to the latest council report, Lower Ncema Dam, one of the city's key water sources, is expected to be decommissioned by the end of November, reducing the city's overall water supply. Once this dam is decommissioned, water will be drawn only from Insiza (51 megalitres/day), Inyankuni (17 ML/day), Mtshabezi (17 ML/day), and Nyamandlovu (8 ML/day), totaling just 93 megalitres per day. However, these figures are subject to fluctuations due to power interruptions and breakdowns.

To manage the water crisis, the city has proposed a tighter water shedding schedule, increasing the current 120-hour shedding to 132 hours, in order to cap average daily consumption at or below 100 megalitres. The average daily consumption in the past eight months had been 106.3 ML/day, against an available system input of just 106.2 ML/day.

As of now, the combined storage capacity of the dams supplying Bulawayo stands at 28.58 percent, with 118 million cubic meters in total storage, of which only 101 million cubic meters is usable. This represents a 20.18 percent decrease in usable water volume compared to the same period last year.

Insiza Dam, the largest of the city's reservoirs, is currently holding 40.85 percent of its capacity and supplies the majority of the city's raw water. To improve water delivery, the council is working on balancing pressure between two points along the pipeline, a project that aims to increase raw water delivery capacity by up to 10 megalitres per day. The rehabilitation of the Inyankuni Dam pump station is also underway, with the goal of reducing frequent pump breakdowns and improving the overall system's reliability.

Once Lower Ncema Dam depletes, the city's water supply will be reduced by 35 megalitres per day, primarily affecting the northern areas of the city that rely on water from the Tuli Reservoir.

With the launch of the aquifer feasibility study, Bulawayo City Council is taking significant steps toward securing a more sustainable water supply for its residents, with a focus on long-term solutions to address the city's water challenges.