FOR the last year and a half, residents across North Durban have had to endure a limited and intermittent water supply, hampering service delivery.
However, an announcement last week by eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba about the impending water curtailment programme has led to anger and frustration among ratepayers.
In a press briefing, Xaba said the decision was taken by both the Department of Water and Sanitation and the municipality who outlined the curtailment would come into effect from Thursday, October 10.
This is expected to be implemented over the next 12 months with the aim of achieving an 8.4% reduction in the municipality’s water consumption rate.
Also read: Water supply issues continue to hamper North Durban communities
The City say that water demand exceeds available supply and that it has reached the limit of water that can be drawn from dams.
In the briefing, Xaba cited some of the reasons for the curtailment as high water usage as well as aging infrastructure which causes water leaks and illegal connections.
He was quick to point out that the announcement did not mean a water-cuts schedule.
“The water curtailment is not water-shedding where there is a schedule for water cuts at certain times. However, the purpose of the water curtailment is to avoid water-shedding by bringing down the total volume used in a controlled manner. The curtailment will be implemented for a period of 12 months, and the City urges residents to use water sparingly to assist in reducing the high consumption,” he said.
Speaking on the decision to implement the curtailment programme, Xaba said it was necessary to avoid water cuts.
Also read: Durban mayor pleased with wastewater treatment works repair project
“The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) limits the amount of raw water that uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) can abstract from the Mgeni Water Supply System. This is to enable continued water availability, including during periods of below-average rainfall. The risk of not enforcing the abstraction limit is that, should a drought occur, there would not be sufficient water in the system for uMngeni-uThukela Water to continue providing the eThekwini Municipality with a reliable water supply.
“However, if UUW implements the gradual reduction as planned, the water supply should remain stable, even with below-average rainfall. If there is below-average rainfall, any restrictions required would be more manageable. It is in this regard that the DWS issued a notice to UUW to reduce the volume of water abstracted from the Mgeni system to their licensed volumes in July 2023. With due consideration of the long-term risks, it is necessary that the water supply curtailments are implemented gradually over the next 12 months to ensure that the abstraction from the Mgeni system is brought to the licensed volumes and maintained at this level,” he said.
For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here
