RESIDENTS north of Durban have had no water for the fourth day running today and are yet to hear from the City as to when the supply will resume.
In a press statement sent out yesterday, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the cause of the interruption was due to the low pressure at certain parts of the main northern aqueduct pipeline. This is affecting uMhlanga, Durban North and surrounding areas.
“Municipal teams are working on the ground to ascertain the cause of the low pressure. They will fix the problem once it has been detected. New developments in this regard will be communicated. The municipality apologises for any inconvenience caused,” she said.
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Ward 35 councillor Nicole Bollman wrote to City manager Musa Mbhele this morning, explaining the frustration of the residents and requesting that water tankers be dispatched, among other issues.
The letter read: “I am writing to you today in my capacity as an affected resident and the ward councillor representing the people of Ward 35 who have been enduring four agonising days without access to the basic human right of water.
“I must stress the severity of this situation, Mr. Mbhele. Access to water is not a privilege; it is an inalienable human right, one that your department has repeatedly and shamefully failed to uphold. Our residents, businesses, hotels, and hospitals have suffered enough, and your department’s inaction is indefensible…”
Bollman demanded eight water tankers to operate twice daily in the suburbs of her ward which is affected and that eThekwini Water Services take command of the situation from a citywide perspective.
“We will no longer tolerate being disregarded or kept in the dark. This is not a mere unfortunate situation; this is a crisis,” said Bollman.
She also insisted on the immediate formation of a task team comprised of senior-ranking officials and a dedicated City communications officer.
“I have also emailed the City requesting that they prioritise supplying hospitals, hotels and business parks with water. I also urge residents to pass information along once they receive an update,” she added.
Ward 36 councillor Shontel de Boer said the situation was unacceptable and that she, too, had been communicating regularly with the City’s senior management for updates.
“It’s day four of no water and no proper answers. I am constantly engaging with senior management for updates as to when supply will resume, but nothing has been forthcoming,” she said.
De Boer said she received a message from the City’s head of water this morning only about the progress of repairs.
The message read: “We were testing all strategic chamber points from Durban Heights up to uMhlanga. All isolation valves, air valves and scour points were found operational. Unfortunately, inflows to affected reservoirs did not improve last night. Today, our action plan is the inspection of the entire route to identify air valves that might be stolen or vandalised, stripping gearbox valves and narrowing down the step test to individual reservoirs.”
In the meantime, she said municipal tankers have been dispatched and private tankers as well as bottled water can be collected at the Northway Mosque.
She asked that residents join the Ward 36 Residents Association Facebook group where updates are posted.
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