Cowdray Park water treatment plant will be constructed in Bulawayo as part of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project that aims to effectively address the city’s water supply shortages.
With a daily capacity of 80 megaliters (ML), the Cowdray Park water treatment plant will be fed water from the Lake Gwayi-Shangani dam. This will be achieved through a 245 km pipeline that is currently being developed by 11 contractors recruited by The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Reportedly 104 km have been freed up for trench digging. Moreover, early this year, Flowtite South Africa and the government of Zimbabwe signed a US$50 million contract for the supply of the glass-fiber-reinforced pipes required for the pipeline project.
Upon completion, the pipeline will be capable of supplying 220 ML/day.
Implementation of the Lake Gwayi-Shangani dam project
The Lake Gwayi-Shangani dam project s underway at the same time as the pipeline project. China Water and Electric Corporation, a Chinese contractor, is currently working around the clock to see that the massive dam task is completed as soon as possible.
In order to speed up the pipeline and dam construction, $8 billion has been allocated for the project in the national budget for 2023. This initiative is part of the Second Republic’s attempts to complete the century-old National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project which is a long-term solution to Bulawayo’s water crisis.
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Dr. Anxious Masuka, the minister for lands, agriculture, fisheries, water, and rural development, stated recently that the government plans to expedite construction next year. The expedition is meant to make up for the lost time as a result of challenges that slowed down this year’s initiatives.
The completion date has been pushed to the middle of 2023, he said, owing to a slight slowdown in the financing.
