The Bulawayo City Council yesterday said at least 25% of the city’s waste water will now be treated to optimum levels following the commissioning of the Aisleby number three and Thorngrove sewage works.
The local authority said the rehabilitation of the Aisleby number three and Thorngrove sewage works cost the municipality a total of $800 000, “all of which was loaned from the Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ)”.
Speaking at the commissioning of the two sewage works yesterday, mayor Thaba Moyo said the stations will receive almost all of the industrial effluent and reduce environmental degradation.
“It is particularly important to note that Aisleby number three has not been working properly since 2002, after it was decommissioned due to challenges with the piping system,” he said.
“The rehabilitation project of the treatment works was facilitated through a loan facility from the IDBZ worth $800 000, it is anticipated that at least 25% of the city’s waste water will now be treated to optimum levels.”
Moyo said strategies were being explored to ensure environmental sustainability.
“The strategies include the production of by-products from the sewage process such as treated sludge which can be used to green the city’s gardens, lawns parks and farms,” he said.
“One of the major benefits of the rehabilitation works is that it will enable a higher quality of effluent to be discharged into the river and hence reduce the mortality of aquatic life.”
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Moyo said the rehabilitation project was part of an ongoing process to resuscitate the entire city’s waste water treatment works.
Director of engineering services Simela Dube said a further $1,5 million was needed to complete the rehabilitation of the Thorngrove sewage works.
Environmental Management Agency director for Bulawayo province, Decent Ndlovu said the rehabilitation of the sewer works was a positive step towards reducing environmental degradation caused by industrial waste.
“The resuscitation of these sewage works will help the city become a more environmentally friendly place, however, we still have some challenges that we have to overcome to make this system more efficient,” he said.
“The load shedding done by Zesa at the sewage works disturbs the water treatment so we will see what we can do about this and whether an understanding can be made with Zesa so that they do not cut electricity for the treatment works.”
The complete resuscitation of all of the city’s sewage works will cost a total of $5,7 million.
