Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has decommissioned Upper Ncema Dam, a situation that is likely to further compound the city`s water situation.
The city is now left with five supply dams at a time when it has put in place a 48 hour water shedding schedule.
In a statement, Tuesday, the city`s public relations officer, Bongiwe Ngwenya said the dam which is currently 3 percent full was decommissioned “with effect from Saturday 8 June 2019”.
“The City remains with 5 out of 6 dams (Lower Ncema, Umzingwane, Insiza, Mtshabezi, and Inyankuni) as available sources of surface water supply.
Bulawayo City Council further advises consumers that the current 48 hour water shedding programme remains unchanged and residents are urged to conserve and use water sparingly,” said Ngwenya.
Of the remaining supply dams, Insiza Mayfair has the largest stored capacity of water at 173 491 000 cubic metres and is 56.14 percent full with usable water measuring 90 461 690 cubic metres.
The dam level stands at 95.27 metres while the water volume in cubic metres is 97 401 330.
Inyankuni Dam has 807 810 000 cubic metres in stored water capacity with a volume of water at 49 596 810 cubic metres.
Inyankuni is 61.40 percent full and has 46 365 570 cubic metres of usable water volume. Lower Ncema is 71.07 percent full with water capacity of 18 237 700 cubic metres.
Its dam levels reach 96.12 metres with a stored water volume of 12 960 740 cubic metres and 12 231 232 cubic metres in usable volumes.
Umzingwane has stored water capacity of 44 663 500 cubic metres. The dam level stands 88.58 metres while the volume of water is 9 544 300 cubic metres.
Umzingwane is 21.37 percent full and has usable volume of 7 757 760 cubic metres.
Mtshabezi Dam is 75 percent full and has 36 915 660 cubic metres of usable volume water.
Its water capacity stands at 51 996 000 cubic metres, while the dam level is 96.23 metres and water volumes are 38 995 500 cubic metres.
