Bulawayo faces huge water problems right after dam levels fell way down. Old pipes can't handle how much water the city needs these days. City officials admit things look bad. They pump less water than before, cutting daily supplies by half. Many neighborhoods stay dry for weeks. People who live in higher areas haven't seen water come from their taps in months.
Our news team visited western parts yesterday. We saw long lines of people collecting water at boreholes. Many pushed carts loaded with empty containers. Pumula East residents took water from dirty puddles in marshy ground. Women washed clothes using shallow holes they dug to reach water beneath the surface.
Gerald Siziba from Cowdray Park told us their normal water schedule stopped working two weeks ago. "We used to receive water Wednesday evening through Saturday morning. During the last two weeks, water runs once weekly for less than three hours," he explained. John Banda from Sizinda called the situation unbearable. He spends hours following water trucks or paying vendors for drinking water.
Banda mentioned they haven't had water since last year because they live in a high area. Other Sizinda parts still receive some water. Many residents use bushes as bathrooms, creating health dangers. Priscilla Moyo from Pumula East said, "Our taps stayed dry since last week. The city doesn't seem to follow any schedule anymore. We depend on these fountains although the water might make us sick."
Betty Moyo, 68, travels almost three miles daily from Pumula North. "I wake up at 4 AM and walk all the way to either Pumula East or South for fountain water. The water looks dirty, but we have no choice when city water doesn't come." Linda Khumalo from Mabutweni said their taps remained dry for weeks. When water appears, pressure stays very low – barely enough to fill one bucket.
Mpopoma residents said water comes on Thursday through Saturday. One person mentioned their schedule worked fine last week, with water available until Saturday. Barbourfields neighborhood experienced fewer problems than other areas. Town Clerk Christopher Dube announced yesterday that workers fixed the Umzingwane pipeline last week, but the Sulzer pump remains broken.
"The city faces big water supply challenges because of aging equipment. Since our infrastructure breaks down often, people experience random water interruptions," Dube explained. He confirmed repairs on the Umzingwane water pipeline finished last Thursday. "We still need to fix the Sulzer water pump. The city works hard to find materials needed for these repairs," he added.
Dube mentioned that the broken Sulzer pump hurts the pumping ability and reduces water delivery to Criterion in Burnside. Daily supplies dropped by 48 million liters. Currently, one pump runs, delivering about 56 million liters daily—half what the city needs. Residents across all areas—homes, factories, and downtown—should expect continued water problems. The local government promises to address these equipment issues through quick repairs.
Our news team visited western parts yesterday. We saw long lines of people collecting water at boreholes. Many pushed carts loaded with empty containers. Pumula East residents took water from dirty puddles in marshy ground. Women washed clothes using shallow holes they dug to reach water beneath the surface.
Gerald Siziba from Cowdray Park told us their normal water schedule stopped working two weeks ago. "We used to receive water Wednesday evening through Saturday morning. During the last two weeks, water runs once weekly for less than three hours," he explained. John Banda from Sizinda called the situation unbearable. He spends hours following water trucks or paying vendors for drinking water.
Banda mentioned they haven't had water since last year because they live in a high area. Other Sizinda parts still receive some water. Many residents use bushes as bathrooms, creating health dangers. Priscilla Moyo from Pumula East said, "Our taps stayed dry since last week. The city doesn't seem to follow any schedule anymore. We depend on these fountains although the water might make us sick."
Betty Moyo, 68, travels almost three miles daily from Pumula North. "I wake up at 4 AM and walk all the way to either Pumula East or South for fountain water. The water looks dirty, but we have no choice when city water doesn't come." Linda Khumalo from Mabutweni said their taps remained dry for weeks. When water appears, pressure stays very low – barely enough to fill one bucket.
Mpopoma residents said water comes on Thursday through Saturday. One person mentioned their schedule worked fine last week, with water available until Saturday. Barbourfields neighborhood experienced fewer problems than other areas. Town Clerk Christopher Dube announced yesterday that workers fixed the Umzingwane pipeline last week, but the Sulzer pump remains broken.
"The city faces big water supply challenges because of aging equipment. Since our infrastructure breaks down often, people experience random water interruptions," Dube explained. He confirmed repairs on the Umzingwane water pipeline finished last Thursday. "We still need to fix the Sulzer water pump. The city works hard to find materials needed for these repairs," he added.
Dube mentioned that the broken Sulzer pump hurts the pumping ability and reduces water delivery to Criterion in Burnside. Daily supplies dropped by 48 million liters. Currently, one pump runs, delivering about 56 million liters daily—half what the city needs. Residents across all areas—homes, factories, and downtown—should expect continued water problems. The local government promises to address these equipment issues through quick repairs.
