Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is preparing a pre-feasibility study report on wastewater reuse after receiving €100 000 for the programme, expected to alleviate the water crisis bedevilling Zimbabwe’s second largest city.
Bulawayo has been affected by prolonged and crippling water shortages which have been exacerbated by the El Niño-induced drought this year.
The city has been plagued by a serious water crisis for many years, with the only major solution seen as the Zambezi Water Project, which was mooted in 1912 and has failed to materialise for more than 100 years.
Council has been weighing options on how to alleviate the water crisis, with one of the available measures being that of recycling water from Khami and Umguza dams, which are seriously contaminated by raw sewage.
According to the latest council minutes on recycling, council received €100 000 to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the reuse of the used water.
“In 2023, the city received €100 000 to conduct a pre-feasibility study of wastewater reuse to close the gap between freshwater supplied and the present demand,” the minutes read.
“The purpose of the pre-feasibility study was to provide the City of Bulawayo with a basis for future detailed feasibility studies, broaden the understanding of financing approaches and tools to promote sourcing of funding, implementation of infrastructural projects and other interventions aimed at improving the potential for reuse as an adaptation measure to mitigate the water supply demand gap which more often than not is aggravated by the seemingly frequent dry seasons.”
Council further indicated that a pre-feasibility report is being prepared.
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The local authority recently secured US$110 000 from a Dutch entity, Vitens Evides International (VIE), to conduct a one-year feasibility and public private partnership study for wastewater recycling.
VIE started working with BCC in 2017.
Meanwhile, the minutes indicated that the city has also received US$6,9 million to support the implementation of the projects prioritised to improve the water situation.
It said the water and sanitation department reported that there were various proposed alternatives and ongoing initiatives reflecting the city’s proactive approach to securing sustainable and long-term water resources.
“Several developmental partners had been approached with the detailed project lists seeking urgent appeal for support. Further to the previously allocated funding the government has again approved an allocation of US$1 500 000 ZiG equivalent to support the City of Bulawayo,” council said.
“The funding had been proposed to complement the scope reduction in the Mzingwane and Inyankuni ongoing projects, the rehabilitation of Batemen filters and dosing equipment at Ncema, the Criterion by-pass and the Mtshabezi-Mzingwane interlinking pipeline.”
BCC has also set up a technical committee. Its activities update on raw water sub-committee projects stated that there would be rehabilitation of the uMzingwane Dam booster pump station, including transformer upgrade, to increase delivery of water from current 125 megalitres per day to 175ML/day.
Indications are that the contractor’s site offices were successfully erected and procurement of material is at 10% completion.
“Mzingwane interlinking pipeline is US$130 000. Preliminary designs are complete and ready for tendering. Project to be prioritised under the recently approved allocation to the City of Bulawayo,” the minutes further read.
“The supply, installation and commissioning of water pumps and accessories for Inyankuni pump station contract was at procurement stage. The contractor’s site offices were successfully erected and works completed as of June 20, 2024 include pipe fabrication, coating and finishes. The project is currently on hold, waiting for valves and other accessories from the supplier.”
The minutes also noted that the rehabilitation of Ncema Water Treatment Works Clarifiers had been awarded to Anolle Castings and is planned to take 12 to 16 weeks at an estimated cost of US$20 000, while the contractor has moved to site and work is in progress.
The NRW Reduction Action Plan, consisting of projects costing US$2,3 million had been identified and are earmarked for implementation in 2024 and the requirements were submitted to government for consideration.
“Upgrade 2,8km 110mm PVC pipeline Cowdray Park water mainline to 315mm PVC pipeline so that all the 25 000 households in Cowdray Park get water, at the right pressure,” read the minutes.
On the sanitation sub-committee projects activities, council noted that it would improve sanitation in the areas of sewage leakages and increased treatment of wastewater generated in the city to above 50ML per day.
