Leaks abound in failing Mtuba water infrastructure
A vandalised pipe alongside the N2, near Bhoboza, could be a reason residents have no water.
AS residents of Mtubatuba and surrounding areas continue to grapple with intermittent water supply, if any at all, it has become apparent that leaks abound because of seemingly unsupervised infrastructure.
While the valve at the water filling depot outside Mtuba Christian Academy was still leaking on Monday, almost two weeks after initially rupturing, a portion of the pipeline running alongside the N2 near Bhoboza has been vandalised, resulting in thousands of litres of wastage daily.
‘We don’t know how long this pipe has been broken, but we first saw it two weeks ago,’ said a Nordale resident who has notified the uMkhanyakude District Municipality – to no avail.
The pipe is accessed via a manhole from which the cement cover has been removed and discarded.
People gathered at this ‘water site’, washing their cars and their clothes and bathing their children.
‘If a tap, similar to those in Dukuduku, can be erected along this pipeline, at least community members can have regulated access to water which won’t interfere with the rest of the system or cause unnecessary wastage,’ said the resident.
Spokesperson for the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, Mdu Dlamini, said they were not aware of this particular problem.
Although he had received photographs, he said he was not sure which section of the pipeline it pertained to.
‘I will contact the managers in Mtubatuba and make sure they address the issues straight away,’ said Dlamini.
The Mtubatuba manager was subsequently made aware of the vandalised pipeline near Bhoboza and said he would investigate.
He said the burst valve outside Mtuba Christian Academy had already been fixed, while the third reported leak, along the R618, would also be investigated.
