Bulawayo water crisis deepens

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC), which decommissioned Umzingwane Dam last November, is now facing an even graver water crisis as the city prepares to decommission another supply dam, Upper Ncema, today. The decommissioning marks a critical moment in Bulawayo's ongoing struggle with severe water shortages.

According to the latest statistics from the BCC, the total dam capacity stands at a mere 28.16 percent. Insiza Dam is holding 40.33 percent, Inyankuni is at 18.07 percent, Lower Ncema is holding 21.46 percent, and Mtshabezi is at 50.79 percent. The decommissioning of Upper Ncema further threatens the city's dwindling water supply.

Acting town clerk Mr. Tennyson Mpunzi stated in a press release that Upper Ncema, which was supposed to supplement Lower Ncema during the dry season, had been opened prematurely in August due to ongoing drought conditions. "Consequently, the Upper Ncema Dam has reached its non-operational level (dead-water level) and will be decommissioned effective October 3, 2024," said Mr. Mpunzi.

He warned that the decommissioning would exacerbate Bulawayo's already critical water supply challenges and called on residents to take urgent steps to conserve water.

The city is currently enduring a 120-hour water-shedding schedule, which has left many areas without water for extended periods. The situation is further strained as only 23 out of 40 Nyamandlovu Aquifer boreholes are operational. With Lower Ncema also expected to be decommissioned by November, Bulawayo will soon be reliant on Insiza, Mtshabezi dams, and the Nyamandlovu Aquifer.

The decommissioning of both Ncema dams is expected to result in a daily loss of 35 million litres of water. The crisis recently attracted attention from visiting parliamentarians, who were briefed on the severity of the situation and toured the city's supply dams and Nyamandlovu Aquifer boreholes.

Councillors noted that upstream gold panning activities and tributary diversions, rather than siltation, are contributing to the city's water shortages. Gold panners have severely impacted the Umzingwane River catchment area, prompting the council to call for military intervention to protect water resources and infrastructure.

"We have observed the huge pits from mining activities upstream, which are wreaking havoc on our water supply," said BCC's director of Water and Sanitation, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube. He also raised concerns about the increasing costs of protecting pumps and other critical infrastructure from vandalism by gold panners.

To address the crisis, BCC is installing new pumps at Umzingwane Dam, with completion expected by the end of this month. The council is also working to improve the pumping capacity at Mtshabezi Dam.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart acknowledged the severity of the situation but pointed to progress on the Glassblock Dam project as a medium-term solution. The dam is expected to boost the city's water supply by 70 percent once completed.

The city's water shortages have been worsened by an El Niño-induced drought, which led to poor rainfall and low inflows into the city's six dams. In response, BCC has tightened water rationing measures and introduced penalties for exceeding daily water usage limits. As part of the new regime, the free water allocation of 5,000 litres per month has been reduced by 40 percent to 3,000 litres.

The situation remains critical as Bulawayo continues to grapple with one of its worst water crises in recent years.