Zimpapers Logo

Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council has introduced temporary water shedding that will mainly affect residents in the western suburbs, council’s senior public relations officer, Nessia Mpofu, said yesterday.Mpofu said some unforeseen complications had arisen as council workers were cleaning the Criterion Clear Water Supply Reservoir.

Although Mpofu did not state the form of complication, she said council had decided to introduce water shedding that will affect locations in the western suburbs up to September 2.

She did not give a shedding schedule.

“The public is advised that Council is currently carrying out reservoir cleaning at the Criterion Clear Water Supply Reservoir up to Friday, September 5,” she said.

“Unforeseen complications have however arisen within the system resulting in reduced supply to all distribution reservoirs supplied by Criterion. This has resulted in council having to initiate temporary water shedding up to Tuesday, September 2.”

Mpofu said water shedding had been effected in Nketa, Nkulumane, and Emganwini with immediate effect so as to build up the Magwegwe Reservoir level.

“Regrettably, all the western suburbs will not have water until the situation improves,” she said.

Mpofu said council would avail water bowsers to service the affected surbubs.

“The public is advised that water bowsers have been arranged to service the affected suburbs and council wishes to apologise to its valued consumers for any inconveniences caused,” she said.

Residents in most western suburbs have been without water since Wednesday.

As a result – residents of Lobengula, Emakhandeni, Entumbane, Mpopoma, Emganwini, Gwablanda, parts of Pumula and Magwgewe North said they were living in fear of disease outbreaks as some people have since resorted to using the bush to relieve themselves.

Some residents had started using water from unprotected sources and boreholes for daily chores.

Bulawayo United Residents’ Association chairperson Winnos Dube lashed out at the council for failing to communicate with the residents since they started facing water cuts early this week.

“We expected communication from the council on what was going on but alas . . . they were just quiet,” he said.

Dube, however, said the situation was not that bad considering that some of the boreholes were still functioning.

“Residents were collecting water from boreholes although some have been complaining of long queues.”

The local authority suspended water shedding at the end of the last rain season after significant inflows into city supply dams.