After more than five days without water most households in uMhlanga and Durban North were relieved to have their water supply turned back on. The households in uMhlanga and Durban North are now receiving water following improvements in reservoirs levels in these areas.
However, the system is still building up sufficient water levels and residents were asked to use water sparingly. Some reservoirs are fast moving as they supply dependent reservoirs downstream and large residential and commercial zones. To resolve the low pressure that resulted in the interruptions, the eThekwini Municipality’s technical teams replaced air valves and scoured the line to release air that may have caused blockages in the system.
During an executive committee (EXCO) meeting held this week, head of the water and sanitation unit Ednick Msweli said during the inspection of the 27-kilometre pipeline, technical teams discovered that an air valve had been tampered with and another valve had been vandalised.
“These valves have since been repaired by the municipality and a case of sabotage was opened at the Greenwood Park police station,” said Mr Msweli.
“The affected reservoirs are expected to take at least two days to fully return to normal levels. Residents are requested to use water sparingly to prevent reservoirs from running empty as this may prolong the recovery period.”
Technical teams remain on the ground to monitor the system and to ensure the best efficiency to balance all reservoirs.
To avoid similar incidents in the future, said Mr Msweli, the city will be installing pressure gauges at strategic points on the bulk aqueduct pipeline and will link this up with the telemetry system where they monitor the reservoir levels.
