ABOUT $4 million is required to rehabilitate boreholes at the Nyamandlovu Aquifer to augment water supplies to Bulawayo.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
The Nyamandlovu boreholes, if fully operational, can supply the city with 16 000 cubic litres of water a day, which translates to a tenth of demand, according to studies.
If more boreholes were drilled at Epping Forest also in Nyamandlovu, the two could supply the city with a fifth of its water demands.
However, only 14 out of 77 boreholes are operational, minutes of the council future water supplies and action committee report reveal.
“This project would augment the city’s current water supply with an additional 10 ML of water per day and it was estimated to cost about $4 million. Council passed a resolution and agreed to partner with government/Zinwa and contribute towards the cost of implementing this project,” council said.
“Letters had been written to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Construction and National Housing to facilitate the project. Zinwa, in liaison with council, were working on the tender for the invitation of bids towards the project implementation.” However, at one time, plans to drill boreholes at Epping Forest hit a brickwall after the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) blocked the move.
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EMA argued drawing water from Epping Forest, a nature forest, which has high underground water tables, would disturb the ecosystem and lead to livestock deaths in Nyamandlovu.
However, the council said the project was on course, funds permitting.
“The rehabilitation of boreholes was still on course, with six boreholes out of the 17 best yielding rehabilitated boreholes having electrical issues that needed to be resolved,” the minutes reads.
“Only 14 out of the 77 boreholes were currently operational. Zinwa was rehabilitating 20 additional boreholes, of which 10 have been pump tested and were currently under service. After this intervention, the anticipated water available for abstraction from Nyamandlovu would average 12ML/day.”
