Bulawayo water shedding increased

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

THE City of Bulawayo has increased its water-shedding schedule from the current 120 hours to 132 hours as the water situation in the city continues to deteriorate.

Last Wednesday, the city decommissioned Upper Ncema as levels continued to dwindle, with its levels dropping to 2.03 percent.

The dam became the second to be decommissioned after Umzingwane Dam, which was decommissioned last year.
With this prevailing situation, the local authority has been forced to review its water-shedding schedule to ensure the water available lasts until the next rainy season.

According to the latest council report, the city is anticipating the decommissioning of Lower Ncema to also follow suit.

“The water assessment indicated that after the decommissioning of Upper Ncema in September and Lower Ncema in early November 2024, the amount of water available for abstraction would be from Insiza (51 ML/day), Inyankuni (17 ML/day), Mtshabezi (17 ML/day), and Nyamandlovu (8 ML/day), totalling 93 ML/day.

“To ensure continued supply of water ahead of the next rainy season,which was expected to commence in December 2024, more stringent measures were necessary as such the department was therefore proposing implementing a 132-hour water shedding programme,” reads the report.

The local authority noted that in terms of consumption, the average daily consumption in the past eight months had been 111 megalitres a day against an available System Input Volume of 110 megalitres a day.

“Although the consumption had been equivalent to the available amount of water, the high-lying areas had continued to experience supply challenges due to low pressure. This was a result of system imbalances that emanated from inadequate periods of low demand to allow reservoir build-up.

Ncema Dam

“The overall dam levels were currently at a critical 30,16 percent. Lower Ncema Dam had reached a critical level of 10,84 percent, which now necessitated the release of water from Upper Ncema. Upper Ncema Dam which was currently at 8,84 percent would be opened on 30 August 2024 to supplement Lower Ncema Dam,” reads the report.

It was further reported that at combined storage capacity of 30,16 percent it marked a 20,64 percent decrease in usable water compared to the same time in 2023.

“The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Edwin Ndlovu) noted that the water situation was now critical. He highlighted that currently, residents receive water as per the availability of the commodity and not as per the water shedding programme because of the low water levels in the dams,” reads the report.

In decommissioning, Acting Town Clerk, Mr Tennyson Mpunzi revealed that the dam had reached its non-operational level (dead-water level).

“The Upper Ncema Dam, a crucial reservoir located on the same river as the Lower Ncema Dam, was intended to replenish the latter during the dry season. However, due to the ongoing drought, the dam gates had to be opened prematurely on August 28, 2024.

“The decommissioning of the Upper Ncema Dam will exacerbate the City’s water supply challenges. It is imperative that all residents take immediate action to conserve water,” said Mr Mpunzi.

As of last Wednesday, Insiza sat at 40,33 percent, Inyankuni 18,07 percent, Lower Ncema 21,46 percent and Mtshabezi at 50,79 percent.

Umzingwane and Upper Ncema dams were decommissioned at 2,14 percent and 2,03 percent respectively.