BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has partnered Dutch company, Vitens Evides International (VEI), in a waste water recycling project. The project was officially launched on Friday. BCC engineering services director Sikhumbuzo Ncube said the city must use waste water for other purposes apart from drinking as the city battles a water crisis.
“We noticed that waste water is something we should consider as important in Bulawayo. This water can also be used by people in their gardens, farms and industries,” Ncube said.
“Reclaimed water is a source we cannot ignore. The amount of water we collect from these dams is slowly and gradually decreasing each year. We need to be looking for other sources of water. We want to complement the Gwayi- Shangani Dam project by recycling waste water.”
Bulawayo residents are going for days without water due to dwindling water levels at the city’s supply dams. VEI waterworks project manager Robson Manatsa said they would be working with Bulawayo until 2026 under the waste water recycling project.
“Our idea is to help exchange knowledge and ideas, and expose the City of Bulawayo to how water operators work. Our Dutch experts will also be sharing experiences and knowledge they have gathered in the Netherlands with similar projects,” Manatsa said.
Bulawayo once announced plans to purify the heavily polluted Khami Dam water for drinking. The idea was shot down by residents and other stakeholders. Khami Dam was built in 1928 and was decommissioned in 1988 due to heavy pollution. Recycling of Khami Dam water has been part of the city’s medium-term plan towards addressing Bulawayo’s perennial water challenges.
Source Southern eye
