The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has acknowledged that its water systems were contaminated with sewage, affecting three houses in the New Lobengula suburb.
The affected residents have had to rely on their neighbours for clean, safe water for domestic use, such as cooking and drinking.
In a recent interview with CITE, the residents expressed fears of health hazards resulting from the contamination.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/sewage-smell-in-taps-sparks-health-fears-in-new-lobengula/
Responding to an inquiry from CITE, BCC Corporate Communications Manager Nesisa Mpofu explained that the contamination was due to a sewer blockage that caused sewage to spill into the water mains through a water valve.
“The block of houses from 57663 to 57674/2, under site 57678 New Lobengula, experienced cross-contamination in early July 2024 when a sewer blockage and the resulting overland sewage spillage occurred from a manhole. Sewage found its way into the water mains through a water valve due to negative pressure in the water mains, causing contamination. The sewer blockage was successfully attended to on July 7, 2024, by the sewer chokes team, and the water mains were flushed to clear all contaminated water,” Mpofu explained.
She said the council has implemented immediate and long-term solutions to avoid similar mishaps in the future.
Mpofu noted that the sewer hotspot is listed in the ongoing framework agreement for sewer dechocking and dragging.
“There is a proposal to add a valve box and lid so that the valve is 200mm above the ground to reduce the likelihood of contamination in the event of a sewage overflow. The City plans to clear the entire 250-300m length of the stormwater drainage to prevent any accumulation of sewage in the storm drain in case a blockage occurs. Local residents have started clearing the stormwater drainage of accumulated sand,” she said.
“Site 57678 New Lobengula is one of the hotspots listed in the ongoing ‘As and When Framework Agreement’ for sewer dechocking and dragging. This site has been experiencing recurring sewer blockages for many decades, making it a hotspot area requiring technical assessments using CCTV to establish the root causes of these recurring blockages. Recommended actions from the technical assessment will then be implemented to bring a permanent solution to this problematic site. The contractor is expected to attend to the area in early August.”
In 2020, 13 people died following an outbreak of dysentery and typhoid in the Luveve suburb due to water contamination.
