Bulawayo
asks residents to flush toilets at same time
21/09/2012
00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
BULAWAYO’S
two million residents are being asked to flush their toilets all
at the
same time once every three days as the city grapples with a worsening
water
crisis.
There is
not enough water in the reticulation system and waste is not moving
for
days. The build-up is causing sewer pipes to burst all over the city,
say
council officials.
Now
engineers are recommending that every household must flush their toilets
at
7.30PM every three days when water services are restored across the city
during
the on-going water shedding.
Simela
Dube, Bulawayo’s director of engineering services, said: “We need to
flush
our toilets at the same time to push all the waste that will just be
under
the surface as residents would be using little water to flush toilets
during
water shedding hours.”
In a
statement, council spokeswoman Nesisa Mpofu added: “Every household is
requested
to flush their toilets systematically at 7.30PM the very day when
water is
back after the 72 hours of water shedding.
“This is
done to prevent any sewer blockages as we anticipate longer periods
without
water in the reticulation system. Please note that this is in
addition
to the normal flushing that will occur during the day.
“This is
due to the recent water shedding programme by council which has
seen a
reduced amount of water entering the sewer system.”
Two of
Bulawayo’s five water supply dams have already been decommissioned
and the
water levels have reached critical levels at the remaining dams –
the
result of the worst drought in south-western Zimbabwe in almost four
years.
A
long-mooted plan to build a pipeline to draw water from the Zambezi River
has
reached implementation stage after the Chinese government committed
US$2,2
billion for the project – but it will not be complete for at least
another
two years.
As a
long-term solution is being pursued, Bulawayo residents are going for
up to
two weeks without water. The worst hit areas are Entumbane,
Harrisvale,
Old Pumula, New Magwegwe and New Lobengula.
Council
spokesman Mpofu explained: “Water, unlike electricity, takes long to
move
from the nearest reservoir to the point of consumption particularly if
the
latter is far. Also water flows to low lying areas first.
“The
residential areas that are not receiving water are all high altitude
areas
and will always be the last to receive water.”
The
council has been sending water bowsers to worst affected areas.
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