BULAWAYO residents’ current daily water consumption is well below the 140 000 cubic metres the city council had set while supply dams are 78, 19% full.
NQOBILE BHEBHE CHIEF REPORTER
According to figures released by the local authority yesterday, during the course of last week, residents used between 116 078 cubic metres and 135 394 cubic metres a day.
On Sunday, a total of 121 614 cubic metres was used.
As of yesterday, Insiza Mayfair and Mtshabezi dams were still 100% full, Lower Ncema (91,1%), Umzingwane (70,4%) , Upper Ncema (66,5%) and Inyankuni was at 25,3% capacity.
Earlier this year, council suspended water-shedding following significant inflows into the city’s supply dams due to heavy rains that lashed the southern region of the country, but warned residents to use the resource sparingly.
Water rationing limits in low-density areas are still pegged at 350 litres per day, high-density (300litres), cottages (200L) and residential flats with individual metres (300L).
Bulawayo has over the years faced perennial water shortages which have partially been attributed to an expansion of residential settlements while no new dams have been built.
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According to the report, not all water in the supply dams can be extracted for use.
The six supply dams have a combined holding capacity of 414 627 700 cubic metres, but only 307 627 036 cubic metres can be used.
Insiza Mayfair has a holding capacity of 173 491 000 cubic metres, but 166 551 360 cubic metres is usable.
For Mtshabezi Dam, 49 916 160 cubic metres is usable out of 51 996 000 cubic metres holding capacity, Lower Ncema (15 855 037 cubic metres), Upper Ncema (28 411 563 cubic metres), Umzingwane (29 656 564 cubic metres) and Inyankuni 17 206 353 cubic metres).
