By Bulawayo Correspondent

BULAWAYO water supply dams have recorded 57 percent water inflows following recent heavy rains which have been pounding most parts of the country.

Bulawayo City Council last year introduced a gruelling 72-hour water shedding schedule following the dwindling of water levels in the city’s supply dams.

Since the start of the rainy season last year, the city’s dams had not gained any significant inflows with UMzingwane and Upper Ncema Dams remaining decommissioned.

According to the local authority, as of February 20, 2023, Insiza Mayfair is 73.15 percent full, Inyankuni 45.61, Lower Ncema 30. 96 percent, Umzingwane 17.27 while Upper Ncema and Mtshabezi are 41.68 and 74.75 percent respectively.

The total volume of the city’s water supply dams now stood at 234 950 268 cubic meters.

Bulawayo City Council’s corporate communications manager Nesisa Mpofu explained that of the 234 950 268 cubic meters, 218 365 160 cubic meters of water is unusable.

The city’s water capacity plummeted to an all-time low of 35.27 percent in February 2020.

Last week the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) announced that the city together with Mt.Darwin and Mutoko remain water insecure with less than 12 months of water supplies in their raw water sources.

Last year, the city was hit by a diarrhoea outbreak with 157 cases reported in Tshabalala high density while the previous year, 13 residents in the city died from the waterborne disease.