Two-day mechanical works to worsen Bulawayo water woes

Bulawayo (New Ziana)-Water shortages are likely to worsen in Bulawayo as supplies will be disrupted due to planned mechanical works at Fernhill and Ncema treatment plants for the next two days.

The mechanical works involves the installation of new protection relays on the 88 kilovolt line to protect transformers.

Bulawayo City has been implementing water rationing since 1984 due to low inflows into its main sources every year.

In a statement, town clerk Christopher Dube said the ongoing works at the stations will disrupt pumping, thereby creating water shortages in some areas of the city.

“The city of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that there will be an interruption to water supplies to all areas except industry and the Central Business District. This is to facilitate the installation of new protection relays on the 88kv line to protect the transformers.

“The Eletro-mechanical works at the Ncema and Fernhill substations will disrupt pumping and possibly result in the depletion of the city’s reservoirs,” he said.

Dube said in order to prevent the city’s reservoirs from collapsing due to the lack of incoming inflows on the specified days, all supplies save for the CBD and industry would suspend.

“The city of Bulawayo wishes to apologise to its valued consumers for the inconvenience likely to be caused,” he said.

Bulawayo has been facing perennial water challenges and the Second Republic government has responded by resuscitating the Gwayi-Shangani-Bulawayo 245 kilometre water pipeline project, first mooted in 1912 but which had failed to take off under previous administrations, to solve the problem.

On completion, the pipeline will be able to convey 220 mega litres of water per day to the city of Bulawayo, against its daily requirement of 165 mega litres, thereby effectively ending its water woes.

Under the National Development Strategy (NDS1), the government is making deliberate efforts to increase the proportion of the population using secure and portable water sources increases.

The strategy is to increase access to portable water from 77.3 percent to at least 90 percent 2025.

New Ziana