EThekwini Mayor Councilor Mxolisi Kaunda and City officials were in the INK area where they presented the City’s action plan to resolve the ongoing water challenges. THE Municipality will be deploying area-based plumbers in the INK area to attend to leaks and burst water pipelines while a project for the construction of boreholes is also in the pipeline. This was revealed during the Mayoral Imbizo that was held on 22 and 23 July in Ntuzuma, KwaMashu and Inanda to present the City’s action plan to deal with the ongoing water challenges in these areas. 

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda explained that the City is experiencing a water deficit, a challenge also facing other Municipalities in the country. However, he said, aging infrastructure and leaks are making the situation worse for the City. “We have a water loss challenge in the City, water is flowing on the road instead of reaching
households. Our pipelines are aging and often bursts and leaks, this needs to be attended to as a matter of urgency so that no water is lost and uncounted for. Residents must also stop using unqualified plumbers who damage our
infrastructure,” he said. 

Mayor Kaunda said the planned Umkomaas Dam to be built by 2030 will resolve the water deficit issue in the
City. While the dam is a long-term plan, the City has various interventions to deal with water shortages. The interventions include:
• Boreholes to be built.
• Upgrade of Ntuzuma Pumpstation.
• Replacement of aging pipelines.
• Deployment of area-based plumbers leaks.
• Delivery of 55 new water tankers.