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Residents in parts of Entumbane, Emakhandeni, Mpopoma, Cowdray Park, and Matshobana have been without water since Friday last week.
Other suburbs like Emganwini in the southern parts of the city were yesterday reported to be still without running water.

A majority of the city’s suburbs went dry after water supplies were cut as council undertook some repairs at the Criterion waterworks where the bulk of Bulawayo’s water is purified.
Most suburbs had supplies restored on Monday.
Schools in the affected suburbs were reportedly sending children home to use the toilets, while patients at clinics were allegedly being asked to bring their own water.
In sections of Cowdray Park and Entumbane, enterprising youths were reportedly selling water to residents.

In separate interviews residents in the suburbs that still do not have water expressed fear that a cholera outbreak was imminent.
“My two children have developed running tummies. I think the unclean water that we have been using in the past five days could be causing it. I hope it is not cholera,” said Mrs Benhilda Nyoni of Entumbane.
Three other residents from the same suburb related similar stories to Chronicle.

A number of residents in Emakhandeni and Entumbane alleged that patients going to the clinic were being asked to bring their own water.
“It is really sad. I think the maternity ward faces the biggest problem. My niece had to bring water from home when she went for a check-up at Emakhandeni clinic yesterday,” said Mrs Mavis Moyo.
However, officials at the clinics refused to comment, saying they were not allowed to talk to the Press.

A teacher at Mpopoma High School, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said eight workers at the school were fetching water in drums and buckets to clean the school’s toilets.
“They are working hard but they are fighting a losing battle. The students are just too many. The toilets are smelly. I think it would be better to close schools in areas where there is no running water to prevent an outbreak of diseases,” the teacher said.

Mr Njabulo Ncube (38), a caretaker at Manyewu Primary School in Entumbane, said he had to wake up early in the morning to fetch water to clean toilets at the school. Residents in all the five suburbs said they could no longer do anything besides fetching water.

“We wake up early and start looking for water until sunset. We go to bed tired and wake up to do the same thing the following day. Residents staying in areas where there is water are now refusing to let us get water from their houses, saying they are afraid of incurring high water bills,” Miss Lolyness Mayedza said.
“Whenever children are sent back from school to use the toilet, we have to send them to the bush. The bush is now stinking. When the rains come, we may have diseases in the area,” said Mrs Millicent Dube of Matshobana.

Residents in Cowdray Park said some youths were selling water for US$1 per 20 litres (contents only), while some were charging R5 per 20 litres, to push containers in wheelbarrows or scanias.
Residents castigated council for not giving them a warning before instituting repairs at Criterion.
Contacted for comment, the Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said there was no reason for panic as water would be available to everyone in due course.
“Reservoirs that supply individual suburbs need to fill up before the suburbs can access water.

“This is a process that takes time and residents have to be patient while it happens. There is no shortage of water to speak of yet,” he said without giving a time frame.
Clr Moyo said officials from the city’s health department would visit areas that still do not have water today, especially Entumbane where suspected diarrhoea cases have been reported, to ascertain if there was need to bring bowsers and other healthcare services.