Bulawayo City Council is considering introducing a new device designed to trap debris before it enters sewer pipelines, as the city battles persistent blockages linked to ageing infrastructure and limited maintenance capacity.
The proposal emerged in a report presented by the city’s Director of Water and Sanitation to councillors on 10 February, outlining plans to pilot an innovation aimed at preventing sand and other waste from clogging sewer pipes.
According to minutes from a meeting of the council’s Environmental Management and Engineering Services Committee, the device, described as sack-like in design, would be installed at entry points within the sewer system to catch debris before it flows into underground pipelines.
Officials said a pilot project would be launched on selected properties to test the effectiveness of the technology before a possible wider rollout across the city.
“The department was planning to have innovation of catching debris from sewer pipes. The gadget would be sack-like and would trap debris or sand from the entry point,” the council minutes read.
Authorities say sewer bursts have been exacerbated by water shortages, which reduce the flow needed to flush waste through the city’s ageing sewer network.
The Director of Water and Sanitation told councillors that sewer bursts were likely to continue as long as water supplies remained limited.
Councillors welcomed the proposed pilot project, saying it could help tackle a long-standing problem affecting many suburbs.
Ward 25 councillor Aleck Ndlovu commended the department for the initiative and urged officials to move quickly to implement the pilot before bringing a full proposal to council for adoption.
However, councillors also raised concerns about the limited capacity of the city’s sewer maintenance unit.
Ward 29 councillor Royini Sekete said residents should be continually reminded not to dispose of waste into sewer manholes and pipes.
Council minutes indicate that only four vehicles are currently servicing sewer blockages across the city, with each handling between eight and 12 cases daily.
Meanwhile, the city’s call centre reportedly receives between 80 and 110 sewer-related complaints each day.
An acting principal engineer in the works department said the city had received some plant and equipment to assist sewer maintenance operations but was still awaiting delivery of additional machinery and funding for further resources.
The proposed innovation comes as Bulawayo continues to grapple with ageing sewer infrastructure and growing service delivery pressures in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city.
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