Bulawayo city council has recommissioned two supply dams in a move that will ease acute water shortages faced by the city.

The dams, Upper Ncema and Umzingwane were re-commissioned after significant inflows owing from recent rains. The re-commissioning of the dams is expected to reduce water shedding from 72 hours a week to about 48 hours a week.

The two dams were de-commissioned last year after water levels dwindled to unsustainable levels. Since then the city council has made frantic pleas to government to alleviate perennial water shortages in the city. The Ministry of Water Resources and Development has made significant progress to link water from Mtshabezi Dam to the city. The project however has been dogged by power shortages due to the high cost of fuel for the generators.

For months people in Bulawayo have been suffering due to acute water shortages. As of 25 February 2013, Bulawayo's six supply Dams -Insiza-Inyankuni, Umzingwane, Mtshabezi, Lower and Upper Ncema held about 216 miillion cubic meters which translates to 52,25 percent full. A fortnight ago the Bulawayo City Council reviewed water rationing from 96 hours to 72 hours.