THE water woes being faced by Bulawayo residents will end when the Bopoma Glassblock Dam, which is set to be constructed in Filabusi, is commissioned, the local authority has said.
Council recently mooted the construction of the dam to complement its existing six supply dams, all located in Matabeleland South province.
Bulawayo gets its water supplies from Insiza Mayfair, Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Mtshabezi, Umzingwane and Inyankuni. Bopoma Glassblock will become its seventh water supply dam when completed.
In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) engineer Kwanele Sibanda said the dam would be the second largest in the region after Insiza Dam.
“The proposed Bopoma Glassblock Dam in terms of holding capacity is at 129 million cubic metres, meaning that if it is built, it will be the second largest dam after Insiza Dam, which has a capacity of 173 million cubic metres,” she said.
Sibanda said after the dam’s construction, residents and ratepayers would be assured that water supply would be enough to cater for everyone in the region.
“In terms of the amount of water that we can get from that dam on a daily basis, we are looking at 68 mega litres. One may ask why does it have a small capacity but be able to give us more water?
“It is because from our existing Insiza Dam, we are gravitating water, but from this proposed scheme, there will be pumping involved from the Bopoma Glassblock Dam to our existing Ncema water treatment plant,” she said.
- Glassblock Dam to end water woes: BCC
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In December last year, BCC raised approximately US$21 million out of the required US$100 million for the construction of the Glassblock Bopoma Dam.
Mayor David Coltart told a meeting held last year under the Africa Investment Forum Market Days in Rabat, Morocco, that the dam’s potential to address the water crisis was massive.
The event was hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The project adviser, Genesis Global Finance (Pty) Limited, tabled a financing request to a transaction-focused platform led by AfDB.
The other seven founding partners of the platform and the forum include the African Export-Import Bank, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Trade and Development Bank.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo residents have expressed hope that the proposed Bopoma Glassblock Dam will boost the city’s water supplies.
Speaking during a ward 28 medium-term water supply strategy consultative meeting held at Mahlathini Primary School in Cowdray Park on Sunday, residents said the initiative was a positive development. Paul Makiwa said the project was a huge development considering the serious water challenges afflicting the city.
Another resident Naison Sibanda also expressed excitement over the dam project, adding that council should rehabilitate existing dams that have been affected by siltation.
