The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) will need at least US$45 million to recycle water from Khami Dam, the latest council report has revealed.
The dam was built in 1928 and decommissioned in 1988.
Due to the perennial water crisis in the city, there were suggestions that the local authority purifies Khami Dam water and use it for domestic consumption.
The plan was met with resistance from residents and other stakeholders who indicated that the water is contaminated with chemical waste and human waste.
However, it seems the council has not discarded the plan as the latest council report shows that the dam is part of projects recommended to improve the current water situation.
The local authority plans to draw water from the Khami dam and treat it for secondary use e.g. Power generation by Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) so that the potable water currently used for power generation is saved for primary use.
The plan will save the city about 11 mega litres per day but will come at an estimated cost of $45 million.
Other identified projects include the Inyankuni Booster Station Upgrade which will increase the booster capacity of the pump station from two operational and one stand-by pump to three operational and one stand-by pump. The projected volume increase is 7 mega litres per day and the project will cost $500,000.
The other project is the Mtshabezi In-line boosters which is locating additional booster pumps on the Mtshabezi to Mzingwane line to increase water volume pumped through by 5.5 mega litres a day for $1,200,000.
Another potential project is the Insiza Elevated 100 m Section, which entails elevating a 100 m section of the Insiza line where there was a sag and where-in the Hydraulic grade was compromised resulting in an increase in head and a corresponding increase in flow. The projected volume increase is 5 mega litres per day for $400,000.
