Bulawayo reintroduces 24 hour water shedding

Bulawayo residents will from  Monday experience a 24-hour water shedding programme which the local authority

says is likely to save the city some water due to increased demand.

This follows reports that water supply dams are currently 58 percent full and stricter schedules may be enforced in the near future.

In a statement on Monday, the local authority said the move to ration its tap water was also brought by the pending decommissioning of the Umzingwane Dam this month.

“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that due to continued deteriorating water situation in the city’s supply dams and projection of the decommissioning of the Umzingwane Dam during the month of June, a 24-hour water shedding will be implemented with effect from Monday 13, 2022,” said the Town Clerk  Christopher Dube.

According to the proposed schedule, some suburbs will experience water cuts from 7.30 am with restoration set to be done the following day at the same time.

Bulawayo draws water from Inyakuni, Insiza, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Mtshabezi and Umzingwane dams as well as Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.

Bulawayo supply dam levels are at 58 percent and the water shedding programme will remind residents of the dreaded period experienced in the 2019/20 when some areas went for over five months without tap water.

In 2019, BCC introduced a 24-hour water shedding programme, which it kept tightening until some areas received water once a week.