THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) will today and tomorrow
shut down water supplies citywide before reintroducing a 48-hour water shedding
schedule on Monday.
Acting Town Clerk, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, yesterday said the
drastic action was taken mainly due to Zesa power cuts and a burst on a major
supply pipe. She, however, said
industry, the central business district and mines will be exempted from
shedding.
The local authority warned that residents in high lying areas
could be affected beyond the scheduled 48-hour period.
In July, BCC cut supplies across the city to stabilise
water levels at reservoirs while conducting major rehabilitation works under
the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP).
In a statement yesterday, Mrs Zhou said council will shut
down supplies across the city today before reopening taps on Sunday as it
stabilises its water reservoirs.
“Residents are advised that water supply will be cut off on
Friday, the 20th September 2019 and Saturday the 21st September 2019 citywide
and reopened on Sunday, 22nd of September 2019. Thereafter, we would like to
advise residents that the 48-hour water shedding will then resume as per the
attached programme with effect from Monday, the 23rd of September 2019,” said
Mrs Zhou.
She said the water shedding programme is subject to change
if the raw water reservoir level improves or deteriorates beyond the critical
level.
“All the areas that are on high ground and are likely to be
affected for more than 48hrs will have water supply by bowsers. Residents are
urged to conserve water until further notice,” she said.
Mrs Zhou said low water levels at reservoirs are a result
of power cuts and a major pipe burst.
She said the situation was worsened by water consumption
levels that have increased above council’s daily pumping average.
“The public is being advised that the City of Bulawayo is
currently experiencing challenges with both raw and clear water pumping to the
Criterion Raw Water, Tuli Clear Water and Magwegwe Reservoirs. Tuli and
Criterion Reservoirs have been affected by reduced power load by Zesa which
affected pumping for the past two weeks at Ncema Water Treatment works, Ncema
Pump stations and Fernhill Booster Station.
“The supply of water was also affected by a major leak on
the Nyamandlovu pipeline which also feeds into Magwegwe Reservoir,” she said.
“In light of the outlined challenges and also against the
background of the growing average daily consumption of 150ML/ day to 154ML/day
versus production of 140ML/day to 145ML/day, which the city has been
experiencing since the lifting of water shedding in July, the city’s supply and
distribution reservoirs have suffered rapid depletion leading to this emergency
shedding so as to stabilise and raise them to satisfactory levels.”
Mrs Zhou said Nkulumane, Nketa, Sizinda, Tshabalala,
Bellevue, Newton West, West Somerton, Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni, Gwabalanda,
Maplanka, Barbourfields, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Makokoba, Hillside South, South
Riding, Fourwinds, Hillside, Northend, Tegela, Romney Park, Paddonhurst suburbs
will affected by the water shedding on Monday to Wednesday.
Others suburbs under the same regime are Sunnyside,
Morningside, Rowena, Montrose, Southwold, Greenhill, Barham Green, Kenilworth,
Ilanda, Burnside and Mbalabala Barracks as well as Mzinyathini Irrigation
Scheme.
She said from Tuesday to Thursday Esigodini, Imbizo
Barracks, Fortunes Gate, Selborne Park, Matsheumhlophe, Parklands, Khumalo,
Queenspark, Suburbs, Mahatshula, Woodville, Kingsdale suburbs will be affected
by the water shedding exercise while supplies will be cut off for Harrisvale,
Jungle, Trenance, Richmond, Sauerstown and Neqi between Wednesday and Friday.
Mrs Zhou said Emganwini, Pumula, Nketa 9, Luveve, Magwegwe,
Njube, Entumbane, Mpopoma, Lobengula, Mabutweni, Iminyela, Pelandaba, Matshobane
will also have water shedding from Wednesday to Friday. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment