In response to ongoing water challenges faced by residents, Ward 17 Councilor Sikhululekile Moyo has disclosed that the City of Bulawayo is contemplating the use of drones to assess the prevalence of JoJo tanks in the city.
This initiative aims to refine the water billing system by excluding residents equipped with such facilities from the conventional fixed billing system.
Residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the current billing system, citing discrepancies between their bills and actual water consumption patterns.
In light of these concerns, calls have been made for the implementation of a uniform fixed charge for water, as opposed to the current estimation approach adopted by the local authority.
Addressing residents during a meeting held in Ward 17 on Wednesday, Councillor Moyo highlighted residents’ discontent with the existing billing mechanism and their advocacy for a standardised water charge applicable to all households.
“Given the prevalent water challenges in Bulawayo, our council convened a meeting where our engineers told us of the availability of drones donated by our partners, capable of surveying the number of people with JoJo tanks within the ward, which is a sign that they get more water,” said Clr Moyo.
“I then said I will tell the council to send their drones to see how many houses have JoJo tanks in Pumula so that those houses will be charged differently from those without JoJo tanks,” she said.
Councilor Moyo further urged residents to invest in additional water storage containers to capitalise on intermittent water supply.
Additionally, she pledged to advocate for the provision of water bowsers to address water scarcity in elevated areas.
“The drivers were taught that when there is violence they should go back because if you push the bowser, it will fall and as Bulawayo we only have one water bowser, let us work together to keep our property safe and assist the people who will be delivering water as they were told to work with water point persons we identified to put order,” said Clr Moyo.
