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Clr Moyo

Pamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has reduced to 24 hours the weekly water shedding period from 48 hours following some inflows into the city’s supply dams.
The new water shedding regime will start next week Monday, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo told journalists and the business community at a press conference.

“This has been made possible by some inflows into the city’s dams, which have brought the overall combined percentage total to 40,4 percent as at January 8, 2014.”

The city draws its water from six dams – Insiza, Umzingwane, Lower and Upper Ncema, Inyankuni and Mtshabezi dams, which have not been filled with to their capacity for the past few years due to erratic rains.

Clr Moyo however, said the new water schedule was subject to change and urged residents to continue using water sparingly. “Although all attempts will be made to stick to the schedule, it is subject to change in cases of emergency without notice,” he said adding, “I would like to encourage residents to use water sparingly to avoid rapid depletion and ensure that taps are tightly closed at all times.”

Clr Moyo said when the local authority introduced water shedding in July 2012, water levels in the supply dams were at 43,1 percent.
But he says the council is optimistic that rains will continue and the dams will receive significant inflows to sustain the city throughout the year.

The council would review the water shedding period every month depending on the dam levels.
According to a new water shedding schedule, residents of Nkulumane, Emganwini, Nketa, Pumula, Sizinda, Tshabalala, Bellevue, Newton West, Southwold and West Somerton will be without water on Mondays starting at 7.30am ending the following day at 7.30am.

Remaining suburbs such as Cowdray Park, Luveve, Magwegwe, Njube, Entumbane, Emakhandeni, Barbourfields, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Mpopoma, Makokoba, Lobengula, Mabuthweni, Iminyela, Pelandaba and Matshobane will be without water from Tuesday 7.30am to Wednesday 7.30am.

In Esigodini, Imbizo and Mbalabala Barracks, Mzinyathini Irrigation Scheme, all outlying areas except mines and all eastern areas, council will close water on Monday 7.30am and open on Tuesday 7.30am.

Industrial areas and the CBD are exempted from water shedding.
Latest daily water supply statistics from council indicate that Insiza Mayfair Dam had 95,073,068 cubic metres of water as of Thursday this week while Inyankuni had 6,462,480 cubic metres.

Lower Ncema had 4,760,040 cubic metres, Umzingwane 9,602,653 cubic metres while Upper Ncema had 4,409,475 cubic metres of water.

Mtshabezi Dam had 48,876,240 cubic metres of water.
To date, the city’s supply dams have received inflows of 23,657,956 cubic metres of water, leaving the volume of the dams at 169,183,955 cubic metres against a combined capacity of 414,627,700 cubic metres.

The local authority introduced a stringent water usage regime in July 2012 after two supply dams, Umzingwane and Upper Ncema, ran dry and were subsequently decommissioned.

The two dams are now operational.