Phoenix residents were left high and dry this weekend as a recent water interruption brought their taps to a standstill, sparking outrage over the recurring water woes that have plagued the area for years.
Ward 52 DA councillor, Samier Singh, shared that the ongoing issue in Phoenix started in 2021 due to damage caused by floods. He said that the damage to the Durban Heights Reservoir 3 exacerbated the issue of ageing water infrastructure. “Since then, inadequate maintenance and mounting pressure on supply from Umgeni-UThukela Water (UUW) have only worsened the situation. In ward 52, we are serviced by Phoenix Reservoir 4, which supplies over 32,000 households and is the second-largest reservoir in the northern region. When reservoir levels drop, high-lying areas are the first to go without water.”
Singh also shared how Durban Heights 3 was emptied due to a planned shutdown for essential mainline repairs. “This severely disrupted the stability of our reservoir and will take four to seven days for the system to recover. While such maintenance is necessary, it must be better coordinated to avoid prolonged service interruptions. It adds to the frequent burst pipes, unattended leaks and rampant theft of water metres. We urgently need to invest in repairing and upgrading our critical infrastructure.”
Ward 49 councillor, Tino Pillay, said water had returned to some parts of his ward during the early hours of Monday morning. He shared that they were helped by a private tanker as municipal tankers were requested in advance and prioritised mainly for informal settlements that did not have regular water access. “Once we request tankers, they are allocated to an area manager who arranges for them on availability. Once confirmed, it is given to the ward councillor to inform the driver of the list of roads to service. Drivers queue at filling points, which can take anything up to four to six hours to fill up.”
He advised residents to continue storing water in case the reservoir closes without notice. “The disruption in water supply is via uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW), who have had some challenges in their plant with their purification process since last Wednesday. According to our media liaison teams in eThekwini, they state that the matter has since been resolved. Now we wait a few days for the reservoirs to stabilise.”
He commented on the increased water issues and said: “The water issues have spanned since 2021 due to water restrictions. They have stabilised within the last year, but intermittent challenges like the recent issue still occur.”
A Sunford resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that for the past two weeks, the water supply in her area had been on and off. “Every time it comes on, it stops immediately. My area, Unit 15, always has this issue, whereas other areas seem to be fine. The government should step up because these problems always occur.” The resident shared that they could not use municipal water to drink as they had a family member who fell ill shortly after consuming it. She said they could only use municipal water for washing and cleaning purposes.
Another resident from Clayfield shared their ordeal: “The water stopped at 7am, and it was hectic as people go to church. Stopping water during that time was very difficult. It eventually came back at 11 am that day. On Monday, the water stopped again without notice. It stopped at 09:20 am.”
The eThekwini Municipality shared that the Northern Aqueduct – which supplies Phoenix – would be interrupted due to the disruption of raw water production from the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works, a plant managed by the City’s bulk water supplier, UUW. The municipality said: “Most reservoirs in the north and south have been depleted, and it is going to take time to build up sufficient levels to achieve a stable water supply. We anticipate the system to stabilise in a week’s time, around 18 July. However, while this does not mean that taps will run dry, some areas will experience intermittent supply as we work on stabilising the system.”
In May, the municipality committed to investing R3 billion towards the Northern Aqueduct as part of its critical infrastructure projects. In addition, they committed to replacing ageing pipelines at a rate of 2% per year. To report water leaks, you can log a fault by calling 080 311 1111 or email eservices@durban.gov.za, you will receive a reference number which can then be given to your relevant councillor to escalate the matter. Alternatively, you can record your complaint via the eThekwini Municipality app.
