AS the region feels the effects of the current drought, the City of uMhlathuze is taking a tough stand on eradicating water wastage problems.
This comes as the municipality is busy investigating complaints levelled by members of the public relating to excessive water wastage throughout the City.
Resident Gavin Fordham alerted the City last week to a public toilet in Maxwell Street in the Empangeni CBD, which is reportedly shedding water on a daily basis.
‘On 28 December, I took a meter reading after hearing water running inside the toilet and wanted to see how much water was being wasted,’ said Fordham.
‘If we then add up the three months calculations, the waste equates to 3 217 kilolitres at R10.90, which amounts to R35 065.30.
‘Over a year the calculation comes to 12 868 kilolitres at R10,90, which amounts to R140 261.20.
‘If you were to fill up empty two-litre bottles with this wasted water, you would need 6.434 million bottles. Laid out end-to-end, the line would stretch 1 930km.
‘Here we have one public toilet that gushes water straight down the sewer drain, and to add insult to injury, it has a water meter attached to it,’ said Fordham.
City Communications Manager Mdu Ncalane called on the public to report any leaks and incidents of water wastage in their areas.
‘We were not aware of such a leak and have dispatched our groundwater team to check. We have a system which detects water leaks in our pipes. Other leaks are man-made and are due to ignorance and failure to fix households pipes. We encourage the public to ensure that they guard against this,’ said Ncalane.
Car washers
In addition, Ncalane said the municipality would be sending out water inspectors to audit car washers operating within municipal boundaries.
‘Illegal car washers will be dealt with. Car wash owners are urged to adhere to the City’s water bylaws. Car washers will only be deemed legal if they have a water recycling system in operation.’
Residential and business consumers have been urged to utilise water sparingly.
‘City citizens can talk to us via our new email: talk2us@umhlathuze.gov.za or send us messages via our twitter handle @umhlathuzem or on our Facebook page, so that we act swiftly on their calls.’
