Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – Power outages at raw water pump stations have plunged the city of Bulawayo into renewed uncertainty over water supplies, worsening a long-standing crisis that has seen residents endure years of rationing.
The local authority confirmed that the latest disruptions, triggered by transformer faults, have crippled water abstraction from it’s main supply dams.
Town Clerk Christopher Dube said the outages began last week after electricity transformers supplying the Umzingwane and Inyankuni pump stations developed faults.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to inform residents and stakeholders of a citywide interruption to water supplies due to recurring power outages at UMzingwane and Inyankuni Pump Stations which have affected raw water delivery to the city,” he said, adding that the situation had been compounded by power interruptions at other strategic installations.
“Additionally, Rochester and Cowdray Park Pump Stations that deliver water to the Magwegwe Reservoir are also experiencing power supply interruptions with the stations having been off since Thursday, February 12, at approximately 00:07 hours,” he said.
He said the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) is prioritising restoration works at the affected sites.
“UMzingwane and Inyankuni Pump Stations deliver a combined 40 megalitres (ML) of raw water per day to the treatment works. These interruptions have affected reservoir levels and reduced treated water availability across the distribution network. Citywide water supply interruptions or temporary supply disruptions are expected as ZETDC works to restore electricity supplies. Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to use water sparingly during this period to help maintain available supplies while restoration efforts continue,” he said.
The water supply system in Bulawayo is heavily dependent on pumping raw water over long distances from Umzingwane and Inyankuni dams to treatment works, a process that requires constant electricity and high-capacity infrastructure.
Unlike gravity-fed systems used in other cities, the Bulawayo setup makes it particularly vulnerable to power outages and mechanical breakdowns as any disruption to electricity immediately halts abstraction and affects distribution, with the latest crisis coming against a backdrop of chronic water woes.
The local authority has for years operated on strict water-shedding schedules due to limited dam storage capacity and recurring droughts linked to climate change.
Residents in high-density suburbs such as Cowdray Park, Pumula and Magwegwe often go for days without running water, forcing many households to rely on boreholes and unsafe alternative sources.
Businesses, schools and health institutions are also frequently affected, raising concerns about sanitation and public health, especially during the rainy season when waterborne diseases tend to spike.
With local dam levels historically fluctuating due to erratic rainfall patterns, the reliance of the city on ageing pumping infrastructure and unstable power supply continues to expose residents to prolonged supply interruptions.
New Ziana
