Ongoing infrastrucuture repairs have resulted in water restrictions in certain areas in the eThekwini municipality this week.
The municipality recently announced that water restrictions would be implemented during late evening and early morning hours due to on-going repair work on infrastructure damaged during the floods in April 2022. The repairs have led to a decline in water pressure and water flow to reservoirs supplying the city, necessitating measures to manage water levels.
Gugu Sisilana, spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality, attributed the reduction in water pressure and flows to the repair work undertaken in the aftermath of flood and storm damage. The restrictions, which started on Tuesday, will be in effect from 9pm to 4am and will continue until reservoir levels recover sufficiently.
In a joint statement with uMgeni-uThukela Water, the municipality acknowledged a power outage at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant, causing further disruptions to the water supply system. Insufficient oversight of the system also contributed to the need for restrictions imposed on residents of eThekwini.
The statement highlighted the current low levels of Reservoirs 2 and 3 at Durban Heights, emphasising that the eThekwini bulk supply system has not fully recovered. The lack of efficient monitoring and management of water levels played a role in this situation. To enhance the water supply system, both the city and Umgeni-uThukela Water agreed to restricted flows during the night.
In an effort to expedite the recovery of Reservoirs 2 and 3, operation teams will be closing some reservoir inlets and outlets. The municipality aims to restore the reservoir levels as quickly as possible to alleviate the impact of water restrictions on eThekwini residents.
