With the eThekwini Municipality losing billions of rand on water losses, it has now begun replacing old Asbestos Cement (AC) pipelines with new pipes made from Modified Polyvinyl Chloride (mPVC).
The eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) Unit stated that this was part of ongoing interventions to address water disruptions and prevent water loss. The project is taking place in various areas across the city with the goal of preventing burst pipes that cause water outages.
On Thursday, the unit laid 12.545km of new pipelines on Cardinal Road in Phoenix.
Recently, the municipality presented a draft water turnaround strategy (TAS) report for the EWS. Within five years, the EWS intends to invest R25 billion in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives. The two new regional wastewater treatment facilities, which will cost R2.1 billion to be built in the 2027/2028 financial year, are the first significant projects.
In five years, the EWS intends to replace 160 000 water meters at a cost of R1.1 billion. Additionally, R2.6 billion will be spent over five years to replace 890 kilometers of water pipes.
Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) spokesperson Cornelius Monama said they were “dismayed” by what appears to be a misinformation campaign spearheaded by public representatives regarding the water situation in eThekwini.
Monama said it could be motivated by the approaching local government elections.
“We urge those who consider themselves leaders to rise to the occasion and join hands with the government to address the water challenges,” Monama said.
To ensure a continuous supply of water to users supplied by uMngeni-uThukela Water, DWS sets a limit (the abstraction limit) on the amount of raw water that the Water Board can abstract from the uMngeni Water Supply System (uMWS).
The amount of water in the uMWS, therefore, puts a limit on the amount of water that can be supplied to residents in eThekwini. The DWS instructed UUW to curtail its abstraction in October 2024.
Given the recent rainfall and improvement in dam levels in the uMWS, DWS has again temporarily lifted the curtailment, in effect from February 23 until April 23.
According to the DWS, some of the root causes of the problems are:
- The demand for treated water in eThekwini is exceeding the available supply;
- eThekwini has grown rapidly, largely due to population growth; and
- Leaks in the municipality’s water distribution systems.
This results in a situation where the reservoirs become depleted because water is being drawn out of them faster than the reservoirs can be filled.
“The backlog of water leaks requiring repairs has been significantly reduced. The city is working hard to reduce non-revenue water. The city will consider implementing formal water-use restrictions through by-laws," Monama said.
Examples of upgrades are:
- The R1.2 billion Southern Aqueduct upgrade, which is approximately 30% complete;
- The commissioning of the new Northern Aqueduct, which is approximately 70% complete;
- The R60 million upgrade of the Tongaat Water Treatment Works, which will be commencing this year.
In addition to the existing water re-use plant, Monama said the municipality is in the process of procuring two additional water re-use plants through public-private partnerships. It is also planning to implement two seawater desalination projects, again through public-private partnerships.
“The water supply challenges in eThekwini and other parts of the country will be resolved. Let us not see every temporary setback as a permanent disaster and every challenge as an insurmountable problem,” Monama said.
In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa elevated water and sanitation as a top priority of the government.
The Water and Sanitation Department is also holding an Indaba on March 27 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg. This is a follow up to the Water Summit that was held in January 2024.