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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE installation of four water pumps sourced by the Government for Gweru City Council at Amapongobwe Dam has started, with the process expected to be completed within the next two weeks.

Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said the water situation was now dire as the traditional water source, Gwenhoro Dam, was on the verge of being decommissioned since it was drying up.

He said there were generally great expectations on the Government-sourced water pumps to avert a potential water disaster once they were installed at Amapongobwe, which is about 70 percent full.

“We are expecting the installation of the four water pumps sourced by the Government to be completed in two weeks,” said Clr Makombe.

“Right now the water situation is very bad up until we install the pumps and we start getting water from Amapongobwe Dam.”

Clr Makombe said Gwenhoro Dam was at around 14 percent full and left with 5 or 6 percent of water that could be pumped.

Gweru City Council engineer Robson Manatsa said once the pumps were installed, they expected to increase pumping from less than 30 megalitres a day to over 45 megalitres.

“We intend to approach the Government for more funds to rehabilitate the water treatment plant so that we are able to pump and treat at least 60 megalitres of water a day to meet the ever increasing demand for water for the growing city,” he  said.

Government last month intervened by sourcing the water pumps at a cost of US$440 000 and in the process saved the local authority from paying an outrageous US$6 million for the same pumps.

The outrageous US$6 million figure was announced by Gweru acting finance director Mr Owen Masimba during a recent supplementary budget consultative meeting.