Durban — The eThekwini Municipality says its water and sanitation infrastructure was damaged extensively during the April floods. However, the head of the department has outlined comprehensive interventions.
The issue of the state of water provision and wastewater management was addressed in the municipality’s executive committee meeting on Tuesday.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the purpose of the special exco was to update the city’s leadership on recent service delivery matters and relevant departments’ response to those matters.
Mayisela said the city’s water and sanitation infrastructure were extensively damaged after the April floods.
“Unrelenting demand, ageing infrastructure and rampant vandalism have worsened the situation, leaving the Water and Sanitation Unit with insufficient capacity to render adequate service delivery,” Mayisela said.
He said water and sanitation head Ednick Msweli outlined comprehensive interventions. An update to the existing 25-year master plan was under way. It will provide an ongoing basis for the planning and budgeting for upgrades, new infrastructure and other interventions. This is aimed at improving water conveyance and treatment.
Speaking on the fake news about water contamination, Msweli said the municipality had an accredited in-house water laboratory. Daily testing reflected the water supply was safe and met the Integrated Regulatory Information System drinking water standards. This was affirmed by the independent testing done by the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at the Durban University of Technology earlier this week.
“There is good progress to finalise projects already under way. The relining of the Durban Heights Reservoir 3 is expected to be completed in November. The Umbumbulu Pump Station is planned to be commissioned by the end of September 2022. For the Southern Aqueduct, contractors are expected to be appointed by the end of this month. The Nagle Aqueduct Repairs the site has been established by the contractor, and is 90% completed while the restoration of the Tongaat Waterworks is expected to be completed in October,” Mayisela said.
He said other projects included the R24 billion Umkomazi project, the appointment of a contractor for the Durban Water Recycling and a feasibility study of the Northern and KwaMashu Wastewater Treatment Works.
Mayisela said water provision as of September 5 was:
- Inner West Region, 95%, Botha’s Hill System
- Outer West Region, 85%. Georgedale, KwaXimba, and Mkhizwana Systems
- Central Region, 90%, Northdene System (Chats, Klaarwater, Demat)
- South Region, 80%, Umlazi 2, Adams and Folweni Systems
- North Region, 60%, Hazelmere, Grange, Trenance, Ntuzuma, and Tongaat Systems
In a video posted on the eThekwini Municipality’s Facebook page, a water and sanitation official, Dave Wilson, provided an update on repairs on various wastewater treatment works under way.
Wilson said the floods did not only damage the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works, but eight treatment works were badly damaged.
“The infrastructure was badly damaged. We had trunk sewers that were badly damaged. We had ordinary pipelines badly damaged. It came to a total of around about R800 million worth of damage,” Wilson said.
He said the electricity department restored the power on-site (Northern Wastewater Treatment Works). He added the whole plant was energised, and now the entire plant was energised and had power throughout.
“The aerators are working. Therefore, they will take the 26 mega litres of sewage from the river and put it through the plant, and there will be a normal discharge into the river of treated effluent.
“We have a lot of vandalism of pump stations. They actually pinch all the electrical cabling inside the pump stations, and it costs a lot of money to reinstate,” Wilson said.
He said they had gone quite far down the line with the repairs, and they should have the majority of repairs completed.
“We should be going back to normal pretty soon,” Wilson added.
Daily News