The Bulawayo City Council is overwhelmed by non-revenue water loss at a time when the city is grappling with the challenge of providing adequate water to consumers, with households at most spending a week without the precious liquid.
The concerns over non-revenue water loss are contained in the latest council minutes, in which councillors raised the issue seeking to plug the loss.
The minutes state that during a full council meeting, councillor Tinevimbo Maposa said Tshabalala had not received water for a long time, posing a health risk to residents.
He also bemoaned the continued non-revenue water loss .
“Addressing the situation of non-revenue water loss will result in the city having enough water. Councillor Khalazani Ndlovu (ward 10) sought clarity on how residents could be informed about the water-shedding schedule, especially the elderly. She also sought clarification regarding the continuous collapse of the Magwegwe reservoir,” the minutes read.
“She proposed that the committee should visit problematic areas with regards to water pipe burst, which have been talked about for a long time but no permanent solution has been found, such as Sizinda and Entumbane. She inquired about the department’s plan to curb non-revenue water loss.”
Councillor Ntombizoidwa Khumalo indicated that high-lying areas continued to face water shortages.
“Water is scarce in those areas. There is a need to establish why these areas are not receiving water and if the problem can be rectified,” she said.
- Uproar over census figures
- Byo Arts Festival in turmoil…One year later, festival has yet to pay artists…Organisers play cat and mouse with artists
- Bulawayo struggles to clear housing backlog
- Council acts tough on debts
Keep Reading
Khumalo advised policymakers to do awareness campaigns against pipe vandalism.
The councillors further expressed concern about a water leak in Tshabalala that has gone unattended for two weeks.
They were also concerned about the a burst pipe in Sizinda, which has not been repaired, noting that residents are doing their laundry using water from that pipe.
The Water and Sanitation section advised that the Mzingwane pump station was shut down for the installation of new transformers and the contractor was on site.
Indications were that residents were informed about the interruptions and the deviation from the regular water-shedding schedule through the Press.
The meeting heard that the Magwegwe reservoir received water from Nyamandlovu and Criterion, but at the time is had no backup supply as it was relying solely on Nyamandlovu, with the Criterion supply having been disrupted by ongoing works.
It was revealed that three compartments at the Magwegwe reservoir were being cleaned hence the water being supplied in the city was only availed intermittently to relieve the dry spell and low pressure prevented it from reaching high-lying areas.
The department noted that the Sizinda leakage had been assessed and they established what is required for repairs to be carried out. A programme has been put in place for repair work to commence.
It was indicated that the strategy will reduce loss of water.
The city’s legal department advised that councillors will be provided with full information on the water situation, detailing why high-lying areas are not receiving water, enabling them to effectively address residents’ complaints.
