THE Gweru City Council has tightened its water rationing regime which will see each household in both low and high-density suburbs receiving 500 litres per day from February 1 in a bid to conserve the precious liquid.
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Water levels at the city’s major supply dams have remained critically low despite heavy downpours that pounded the country in the last couple of weeks.
Town clerk Daniel Matawu said council would also ban the use of hosepipes as well as using municipal water to fill swimming pools.
“Notice is hereby given of Section 187 subsection (3) of the Urban Council’s Act (Chapter 29:15) that in view of the low water levels in Gwenoro Dam and in view of Amaphongokwe Dam abstraction system being inadequate as a standalone facility, the council has resolved to introduce water rationing schemes . . . The schemes shall apply from 1 February until further notice,” Matawu said.
He encouraged residents to monitor their daily consumption to prevent water losses through leakages and other wasteful usages.
“Consumers are required to monitor their daily consumption of water by reading their water meters every day. This will help deter any unnecessary loss of water.” Meanwhile, city director of engineering services, Jones Nanthambwe, has said water level’s Gweru’s three supply dams remained critically low with the main supplier Gwenoro recording a 0% inflow despite the rains that fell in the past weeks.
Nanthambwe said between December 1 last year and January 3 2014 Amaphongokwe and Whitewaters received two and 6% inflows respectively.
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“Although the dam (Amaphongokwe) is 42% full, it has limited pumping capacity. Instead of four working pump sets, there are only two available with the other two being obsolete,” Nanthambwe said.
He said Whitewaters, which is 65% full, can supply up to 4,5 megalitres per day, but was only supplying 2,5 megalitres as a result of the collapse of its two filters.
