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Midlands Bureau Chief
BULAWAYO and Harare water supply dams have received record inflows this rainy season, pointing to improved water security for the two cities.

The country’s metropolitan provinces have a documented history of perennial water challenges.
Since the beginning of the rain season, the dams have gained an average of 56.9 percent the highest ever recorded since 1980.

In the weekly dam levels update, Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said water levels in the major dams continue to increase.

“Water levels in the country’s major dams remain on an upward trend on the backdrop of the continued rainfall activity being experienced in various parts of the country,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga said as at Monday the national dam level average had risen to 95.9 percent.

In terms of catchment averages, she said Gwayi Catchment has an average of 102.7 percent, Manyame 81.1 percent, Mazowe 80.4 percent, Mzingwane 89.5 percent, Runde 105.9 percent, Sanyati 105, 8 percent and Save 78.7 percent.

“Since the beginning of the rain season, the dams have gained an average of 56.9 percent the highest ever recorded since 1980. Before that, the most inflows had been recorded in 1974 when dams gained 55 percent between the beginning of the rain season and the end of February that year,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga said in the past week, significant gains were recorded in the Harare water supply dams of Chivero and Manyame as well as Bulawayo water supply dams of Insiza, Mtshabezi, Inyankuni, Umzingwane, Lower and Upper Ncema pointing to improved water security for the two capitals.

“The country’s largest inland water body, Tugwi-Mukosi remains spilling together with other dams such as Muzhwi, Manyuchi, Biri, Insukamini, Nerutanga and Siya. Mazowe Dam, Karoi, Blockely, Jumbo and others remain low and are yet to reach the 50 percent mark,” she said.