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Residents Voices - Issue 81
Bulawayo Progressive
Residents Association (BPRA)
August 28, 2012
Residents in
Bulawayo have expressed concern over the increased water shedding
hours in the city stating that a continuous 48 hours without water
would be unsustainable for most households as they do not have sufficient
containers to keep enough water to cover basics such as cooking,
washing and bathing for the two days.
The Bulawayo
City Council (BCC) last week resolved to increase water shedding
times from 48 hours to 72 hours a week as a means of further reducing
the city's water consumption patterns to the targeted 90 mega-litres
per day or less. This means that residents will experience water
cuts twice per week - once for 48 hours straight, and once
for 24 hours.
The initial
shedding was for 48 hours per week, however council engineers reported
that consumption had not reduced because the water shedding had
been coupled by an increased incidence of pipe bursts as the old
pipes reacted to constant closing and opening of taps. This thus
necessitated longer water shedding periods, hence the decision to
increase from 48 hours to 72 hours a week.
However some
residents have raised concerns of possible disease outbreak if the
situation continues as it is. Already hundreds of residents are
having to spend hours in borehole water queues to make up for a
shortage in containers and to meet their daily water needs.
BPRA acknowledges
that water shedding is necessary to conserve water at the moment
as water levels in dams are critically low. The association however
also proposes that BCC should make efforts to provide alternative
sources of water such as bowsers. Efforts could also be made to
repair damaged boreholes across the city. The association also calls
for the local authority to increase public awareness to ensure that
people reduce their water consumption patterns.
Visit the Bulawayo
Progressive Residents Association fact
sheet
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