Does BCC have a shortage of water bowsers?

Source:  The council Minutes dated 8/01/2020 on water deliveries, Councillor Mlandu Ncube said there was a serious shortage of water bowsers in the city.

Background: Residents of Bulawayo are currently enduring a 96-hour water shedding. In such a time residents relying on boreholes and water bowsers from the local authority. On water deliveries using bowsers, Councillor Mlandu Ncube noted that there was a serious shortage of bowsers in the City. He suggested that the devolution funds should be channelled towards purchasing bowsers. He requested a meeting to deliberate on the issue of water.

Verdict: True

Responding to an email questions, BCC senior Public Relations Officer, Nesisa Mpofu said council currently has five water bowsers.

 “Currently council has five water bowsers, four of these have a carrying capacity of 18 000 liters and the remaining one has a capacity of 10 000 liters,” said Mpofu.

She said of the five water bowsers only four are functional and priority are given to health institutions and public gatherings.

“Four bowsers are working and one is in the workshop for repair”.

“The bowser service is offered in areas known in that particular time to be under shedding and perennial ‘hotspots’ or high lying and further off areas, where pressure build-up in the reticulation system takes time.

“Request for water are sent in through our call center or through the area councillor where they are prioritized accordingly,” Mpofu said.

“It should be noted that preference is first given to Health Institutions that is clinics, followed by schools, then funeral and public gatherings and lastly the general public.

“The primary function of water bowsers is to transport water for road works which have scaled downwards during this emergency period so as to avail this service,” she said.