$4, 7m loan to rehabilitate Bulawayo sewer plants

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THE Bulawayo City Council has secured about $4,7 million to refurbish its sewer treatment works to avert disaster following reports that residents could be drinking contaminated water.

THE Bulawayo City Council has secured about $4,7 million to refurbish its sewer treatment works to avert disaster following reports that residents could be drinking contaminated water.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Council has been incurring huge penalties from the Environmental and Management Agency (EMA) due to discharge of raw effluent into water sources.

According to the latest minutes of the council’s environmental, management and engineering committee, water quality was compromised by system components malfunction at the treatment plants.

“The treatment works are not functioning optimally due to the compromise in the major treatment processes as some system components are not working,” read the minutes.

“This is not good for the environment as partially treated sewage will be discharged, likely to be a hazard to the ecosystem and human health.

“It should be borne in mind that if plant performance improves, increase in revenue generation and lesser penalties would be realised.”

Council said tests performed by the council laboratory highlighted that the effluent discharged at all treatment plants fell below acceptable standards.

“As a result, high penalties are being charged to council by EMA.

“It is therefore essential to address the needs at each treatment work as outlined,” the minutes said.

Council said it had since secured an over $4, 7 million loan to rehabilitate and refurbish nine sewer treatment plants.

These include Aisleby 1 ($578 000), Aisleby 2 ($755 000), Aisleby 3 ($265 000), SAST ($1 227 000), Thorngrove ($1 227 300), Luveve ($309 000), Waterford ($65 000), Magwegwe Ponds ($150 000) and Cowdray Park Ponds for ($500 000).

The problems at the sewer treatment plants was blamed for a decline in reclaimed water production capacity at Luveve, Waterford and Thorngrove stations, the minutes added.

“The reclaimed water production capacity of the three treatment plants has declined due to non-functional items of plant and decline in inflows.

“The tenders that are being crafted should within their scope of works cover the reclaimed water production facilities,” the environmental, management and engineering committee report said.

This came at a time when the local authority is battling water and sewer pipe bursts owing to ageing reticulation infrastructure, some of which was installed by the colonial regime.