BY PATRICIA SIBANDA BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has been urged to repair burst pipes to conserve water, amid concerns of dropping levels at the city’s supply dams.
Residents expressed fears that if burst pipes are not fixed, water shortages experienced last year when ratepayers went for days without the precious liquid, were inevitable.
“BCC should act and make sure that it repairs all the burst water pipes as one way of conserving water. A lot of water is lost through burst water pipes,” Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Ambrose Sibindi said.
“Very soon, we might face acute water shortages. We must avert this situation before it is too late.”
Council blames the incessant pipe bursts on ageing infrastructure.
In some suburbs, sewage flows into people’s homes, exposing residents to water-borne diseases.
Mayor Solomon Mguni said the city’s water and sewage reticulation infrastructure was undergoing rehabilitation to minimise bursts.
“The city was fortunate to receive funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for water and sewage mains renewal and the project should be completed by next year. The Luveve sewage treatment works catchment is being worked on now, up to the Cowdray Park outfall ponds,” Mguni said.
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“Non-revenue water will always be there, but what is important is to minimise loss of treated water. That has always been our preoccupation since the last rainy season when we started to receive regular supplies of water following the 2020/21 rainfall season.”
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority recently warned of a drop in water levels in the country’s major dams because of the high temperatures.
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