Water crisis shuts off taps in Zimbabwe’s Bulamayo
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Read< 1minuteA woman carries water from an unprotected source in Mabvuku, a highly-populated suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo city has halted running water supplies after problems at two reservoirs, causing ailing infrastructure and an outbreak of waterborne diseases to residents reeling under a severe drought.
650,000 residents have been limited to using tap water once a week since May as storage capacity reduced by 26%.
“Residents will receive brief supplies ‘only to allow consumers to fill up their containers’ until the situation improves,” Town Clerk Christopher Dube said in an emailed statement.
Bulawayo was hit by an outbreak of diseases linked to contaminated water from burst sewers last month.
Health authorities reported at least 1,800 cases and 13 deaths.
