FOR years water leaks have plagued Durban residents with frequent pipe bursts raising concerns about ailing infrastructure. This week, the eThekwini Municipality announced plans to launch the multi-billion rand Water and Sanitation Masterplan which aims to upgrade and extend infrastructure.
Working with uMgeni Water, the City will be investing R9 billion over the next three years for the construction of reservoirs, upgrading of water treatment plants, and the replacement of water mains.
eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda made the announcement in a video address on the eThekwini Municipality’s Facebook page this week. “Water is a precious resource and billions of people across the globe are experiencing water scarcity. This is due to insufficient water resources to meet the current demands. eThekwinin Municipality faces it own challenges in securing future water supply due to ageing infrastructure, water leaks, vandalism, theft, climate change and population growth resulting in increased water demands,” said Kaunda.
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Through the plan, the City hopes to address current problems and prevent future water issues.
“We have recently approved the Water and Sanitation Masterplan with clear timelines and budget, not only to address backlogs, but also to refurbish our ageing infrastructure,” said Kaunda.
“We appeal to residents to use water sparingly and report burst pipes, water leaks and illegal connections,” he concluded.
What do residents think
Berea Mail visited the Durban Promenade on Tuesday, April 4 to ask residents what they think of the government’s Water and Sanitation Masterplan, if the proposed R9 billion was the right amount to spend and what they do to save water in their homes.
Brigette Windt
“I think roads are a greater priority because there are more accidents and people dying every year because of potholes, although we had a lot of water outages in Gauteng before we moved to Durban. The water issue is somewhat better here, but potholes are a bigger problem. I drive a small car – it fills the potholes, that’s how big they are. I don’t mind the City asking residents to save water. I used to live in Cape Town and saving water was the norm with the water crisis – it’s a good learning curve.”
Michaela Loggen Berg
“To think of what the country already owes – I think it’s about R46 billion, I am wondering where the R9 billion is coming from. I think it’s a good idea to save water. I think taking a shower rather than a bath is a good way to start, it saves a lot of water. Other simple easy to save water are to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.”
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Schanel Somaih
“I think it’s a good thing to upgrade water infrastructure -water is a necessity that a lot of people don’t have access to. But, I don’t think that amount is necessary. I think it should be distributed toward other issues like building shelters, homes or addressing food shortages. There’s a lot more that can be done with R9 Billion. That said, there are have been numerous when occasions when we are without water in my area. My grandmother lives in a rural area and it takes a long time for water faults to be addressed. She has been without water for 48 hours. For an elderly person to go that long without water is not easy. I think the best way to save water is through little things- turning off taps, addressing leaks, using JoJo tanks.”
Meano Jacobs
“This kind of spending is a bad idea because we are already in debt. We already owe millions, so I think this is a bad idea because it’s just going to increase our debt. The government should rather use the funds to build homes for the homeless or pay the debts. I think it’s good for the government to encourage residents to save water because we are the ones using the water. The main thing I do to save water is close running taps and turn off the tap when I don’t need it.”
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