Residents of Beit Bridge spent the weekend without water, following the breakdown of the main pipeline that links the supply dam and the reservoirs.

The latest development affected the local hospital and border post, which handles thousands of travellers every day.

An official from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) moved around the border in a council vehicle last Thursday evening, announcing through a hailer about the looming water crisis. “We would like to inform residents that the entire town won’t be having water for the next three days, following the breakdown of the main pipeline. We urge residents, however, to utilize boreholes at various strategic points as we make efforts to address the problem and please bear with us,” the ZINWA official announced.

An official at Beitbridge Border Post said an electrically powered borehole had been drilled for use in the event of water crisis.

“Beitbridge Border Post is a very busy place and obviously travellers are bound to use our toilets and therefore we hope that way we will also be able to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera,” he said.

Although the burst pipeline has since been repaired, local residents have challenged ZINWA to address the perennial water woes, which continue to dog the border town amid growing fears of diseases. Water supply was restored on Monday.

“This continuous water crisis is really an issue of grave concern to us as Beit Bridge community and we are saying there is a need to address the problem as a matter of urgency,” said Mr Maxwell Mulalo Ndou of Dulibadzimu.

The chairperson of BBA, Mr Roy Salatiel Muleya, expressed concern over Zinwa’s bureaucratic hurdles in addressing the water crisis.

“As Beit Bridge business community we are extremely concerned about this ongoing water crisis, which certainly has a negative effect on the economic growth of the town. Water is a critical component and we will continue to engage relevant authorities on the issue until there is an amicable solution to the perennial water crisis,” he said.

Long winding queues of people queuing up for water at several strategic points where boreholes have been drilled by Unicef and World Vision have since become a common feature in the border town. The boreholes were drilled at the height of the cholera outbreak in November 2008. The disease, which claimed dozens of lives, was attributed to inadequate water supply and sewage spillages. The water crisis, coupled with constant sewer bursts, continues to haunt residents of the town.

ZINWA has attributed the perennial water shortage to a constant break down of the pipeline coupled with an obsolete water treatment plant, which has a capacity to pump only 60 000 cubic metres of water per hour. However, the town requires 150 000 cubic metres per hour.

ZINWA pumps water from the Limpopo River into its two storage dams, but, due to the constant breaking down of its main pumping system and inadequate filters, the water utility currently relies on one dam, which feeds into the reservoirs.