A support team has been established to develop long-lasting solutions that will ensure the provision of sustainable water supply to consumers in eThekwini. City Manager Musa Mbhele introduced the support team during a two-day eThekwini Water and Sanitation Strategy Induction Workshop.

TO address water scarcity affecting communities in the City, eThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda announced the establishment of a support team to address water challenges. The team will develop long-lasting solutions that will ensure the provision of sustainable water supply to consumers. Mayor Kaunda made the announcement during a post Council media briefing on 14 December.

Regarding the support team, he said it comprises of highly skilled local government administrators, who are former accounting officers and have extensive experience in governance and management of water services authorities. He said the establishment of the support team is also aimed at ensuring the seamless
implementation of the Councilapproved Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy. “The scope of work for the team includes building internal capacity and putting appropriate systems and processes in place to deliver a water and sanitation service that meets customers’ needs. We wish to reiterate that despite all the challenges we continue to face, we remain fully committed to fulfilling the promise of providing quality services to residents. 

To-date, about R292.4 million has been spent on the repairs and construction of flood damaged water and sanitation infrastructure in the Municipality,” he said. He also shared that the Municipality has procured 42 high pressure jetting vehicles at a cost of R98.4 million. This new fleet of jetting vehicles will help unblock manholes, sewers, trenches, and drains, especially in times of blockages caused by adverse weather conditions. He also touched on water supply challenges with many areas experiencing intermittent water supply.

This was due to repairs that were carried out at the Durban Height Water Treatment Works and the commissioning of Aqueduct two. “We are pleased that our water network has stabilised and most areas that were affected by this shutdown, are now receiving water. However, we are aware that areas such as oThongathi and uMlazi AA and BB sections were affected by pump failures and damages. In oThongathi, our teams are on site to repair the pump and in uMlazi we have been able to resolve the challenge as both pumps have been repaired and water has started filling up at the uMlazi Reservoir 5.”