Councillors express frustration over North Durban water crisis

RESIDENTS across Durban North and uMhlanga have voiced their frustrations over the water outages that have plagued north Durban for the last few months.

uMhlanga, in particular, has been hard hit with residents going several days without water.

Dean Grobler, a businessman and resident in the area, said the water outages have been nothing short of catastrophic for businesses and ratepayers alike.

“It has been frustrating because you are never sure if you’ll have water. It has been so sporadic, but it is affecting the morale of residents and business owners. As a resident, I’ve had to purchase a few 20-litre water drums to help with showering, laundry and flushing the toilet. Some businesses in uMhlanga, though, have had to close their doors because of the water shortage affecting their livelihoods. That hits home for me because the hospitality industry has been hit hard by the lockdown, the unrest and the floods,” he said.

Also read: Parts of KZN classified disaster areas after recent floods

Ward 35 councillor Nicole Bollman echoed Grobler’s thoughts, saying the water crisis is crippling the area.

“Major parts of uMhlanga, La Lucia and uMhlanga Ridge were without water for 10 days, and this cannot continue. I stand with the residents in their frustration. As a party, we have taken this matter to the SA Human Rights Commission as water is a human right. As councillors, we have also found it difficult just getting answers from officials within the eThekwini Water Services (EWS). This is mismanagement and lack of maintenance which is causing a knock-on effect, exacerbating the problem,” she said.

Similarly, Ward 36 councillor Shontel de Boer said the unpredictable nature of the water outages have left residents high and dry.

“Residents are at the end of their tether. The water department have not been forthcoming with information. While the City have acknowledged the crisis, it is just not good enough. The nature of water outages in the ward is they are unpredictable, so residents are oftentimes caught out. While water supply has been restored to the area, I urge residents to use water sparingly but also to be prepared by purchasing large water bottles to prepare for any individuality,” she said.

Also read: uMngeni River still in the red for high E. coli readings

In a recent statement, the eThekwini Municipality said the water supply in these affected areas can be attributed to, among other things, the damage caused by the recent floods, ageing infrastructure and vandalism.

“For the past three months, we have been experiencing constrained water supply in areas because the Northern Aqueduct has not been performing optimally. Various interventions are being implemented, which include checking possible leaks and blockages on the 32km-long trunk main. Other interventions include replacement of all air valves in the trunk main and changeover of the bulk supply.

“These interventions are expected to be completed in February. However, some areas may have their water supply restored earlier as interventions are progressing. The new Northern Aqueduct augmentation is at an advanced stage. This pipeline interconnects to the existing aqueduct and is set to improve the delivery of potable water to the northern areas. The augmentation pipeline will supply water from the Durban Heights Treatment Works to the Waterloo, uMhlanga, and Blackburn (Cornubia) reservoirs,” the City said in a statement.

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