EThekwini Mayor tackles Tongaat water woes with short term solutions
EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda addresses urgent water challenges in the face of population growth, aging infrastructure, and recent floods.
Pressures caused by population growth, aging infrastructure and vandalism are responsible for eThekwini and Tongaat’s water supply problems.
That was the opinion of eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda when he addressed the media last Thursday.
Kaunda provided a breakdown of the current water supply challenges experienced in various regions, emphasising the negative impact these have on communities in Tongaat.
Residents have expressed their concerns about ongoing water shortages since the beginning of the year, which were exacerbated by the recent floods.
This has resulted in placard demonstrations around the town over the past two weeks.
Residents voiced their displeasure about what they claimed to be a lack of transparency and contradictory messages from local authorities.
Kaunda said supply had been restored through an alternate feed from the oThongathi Water Treatment Works to the Belvedere Reservoir which serves the oThongathi South reservoir.
“Residents have already began receiving intermittent supply through this intervention. However, we must state that this is a temporary measure while our teams are fixing the Metcalf bulk pipeline and another pipeline that carries water from the oThongathi South reservoir which was washed away by the recent floods,” said Kaunda.
He emphasised these interventions were short- to medium-term measures, pointing out a lasting solution to the water challenges lies in the construction and commissioning of the Upper Umkhomazi Dam.
This project will be a collaborative effort between the eThekwini municipality, the National Department of Water and Sanitation through its agency Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, and Umgeni-Uthukela Water.
Acknowledging the impact of recent heavy rains, the mayor reported that the city had incurred infrastructural damages of R1.4-billion. Kaunda assured residents that while short- to medium-term solutions are implemented, water tankers would continue to provide relief. An additional 100 tankers are expected to come into service by May.
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