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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

BULAWAYO has started pumping in an average of 15 megalitres of water daily from the Nyamandlovu Aquifer where 39 boreholes are now functional and the Government is seized with outstanding rehabilitation works to ensure all the 42 boreholes are operational. 

The steady increase in volumes supplied from Nyamandlovu is a huge relief to the city’s residents who are subjected to a 120-hour weekly water shedding regime, which has seen some suburbs in high-lying areas going for several weeks with dry taps, forcing residents to resort to unclean sources.

Due to depleting water levels at major supply dams as a result of the El Nino-induced drought, Nyamandlovu Aquifer has become a critical alternative in complementing Bulawayo’s water supplies, prompting the Government to avail about $7 billion early this year to improve the city’s pumping capacity.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) said the Nyamandlovu borehole rehabilitation exercise has started impacting positively on water supplies. 

“The authority carried out major rehabilitation works on the vandalised boreholes, managing to bring most of them back on duty. This has resulted in the steady increase in water volumes being produced at the aquifer to an average of 15 megalitres (15 million litres) per day from as low as 4 megalitres in 2023 following the vandalism of the infrastructure,” Zinwa head of corporate communication, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said.

“To date, a total of 39 boreholes are now functional at the aquifer with the number expected to rise to 42 once some outstanding works are completed.”

To curb vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure, she said Zinwa has kick-started the process of putting cages on transformers and replacing copper cables with aluminium to enhance maximum security. 

“Zinwa has commenced target hardening measures at Nyamandlovu Aquifer to protect transformers and other water infrastructure components from vandalism. 

“As part of the target hardening exercise the authority has started putting up cages around transformers and replacing all copper transformer windings with aluminium windings,” said Mrs Munyonga.

“In addition to being an anti-vandalism mechanism, aluminium helps reduce mechanical stress on the transformers since it provides a greater surface area, which allows the transformers to better handle excess heating. This will thus make the transformers more durable.”

She said the theft and vandalism of boreholes and transformers at Nyamandlovu were affecting the pumping capacity and significantly dropping the production volumes.

“In response to the vandalism, Zinwa beefed up security around the infrastructure and also embarked on a multi-stakeholder anti-vandalism awareness campaign,” said Mrs Munyonga. 

Bulawayo director of engineering services, Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube, is on record saying due to the drought experience this year, residents will continue receiving water for only two days per week as water levels continue to dwindle at major supply dams with the possibility of further tightening of the water shedding regime if the situation has not improved.

“We all appreciate that the water situation remains critical. Our water levels in the city dams are at 41 percent yet we are approaching the end of the rainy season. 

“This means we are going to sustain the 120-hour weekly water shedding period for a prolonged period maybe up to December,” he said last week. 

“By June we might even need to review the water shedding programme depending on the water situation in our dams. We might need to increase to a 140 hour-weekly water shedding period. 

“At the moment we will try to maintain the 120 weekly water shedding meaning residents will continue to receive water twice a week.”

To ensure adequate interventions, the Government has also put in place an inter-ministerial committee to address the water situation and respond to vandalism of electricity infrastructure at Nyamandlovu and Rochester aquifers, which was said to be affecting at least 60 000 Bulawayo residents who receive water from the Magwegwe reservoir.

Meanwhile, the Bulawayo City Council has urged residents to conserve water and ensure the protection of critical                                                                             infrastructure including boreholes dotted around the city and donated kiosks. 

— @nqotshili