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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO residents will go for four-and-a-half days without running water as the city takes drastic measures to conserve water by implementing a 108-hour weekly water shedding programme with immediate effect.

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been implementing a 96-weekly water shedding exercise that it was also struggling to maintain as residents go for extended hours without running water.

The council has warned that even the 108-hour weekly shedding may be extended if residents fail to conserve water.

The local authority says those living in high lying areas might end up only receiving water through water bowsers as there may not be enough pressure for water to come out of their taps.

Our sister paper, Sunday News reported that high lying suburbs such as Emganwini, Pumula South and Magwegwe might go for eight months without tap water.

Bulawayo dam levels are at 32 percent as the water bodies received insignificant flows in the 2019/2020 rainy season.

In a statement yesterday, Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said council has increased water shedding duration by 12 hours every week, from 96 to 108.

“The public is being advised that the City of Bulawayo is currently experiencing challenges with both its raw and clear water reservoirs at Criterion reservoirs and at Criterion water treatment plant.

“Drawing of the raw water from the dams is increasingly becoming a challenge and to that effect, council will introduce a 108-hour shedding programme with effect from (today) Wednesday, 8, April 2020,” said Mr Dube.

He said the water shedding programme can even be worse if the water situation does not improve.

The water crisis has worsened at a time when the world is grappling with Covid-19 which requires that citizens practice highest hygienic standards through  constant washing of hands and maintaining social distances.

Residents now have to spend long hours queuing to fetch water from boreholes across the city.

Bulawayo is operating with four supply dams after it decommissioned Umzingwane and Upper Ncema dams last year.-@nqotshili