Residents of eThekwini are set to benefit from a substantial R3 billion investment by the municipality, allocated to the Northern Aqueduct as part of critical infrastructure projects aimed at tackling persistent water supply challenges across the metro. Furthermore, the city has committed to bolstering water resilience by replacing ageing pipelines at a rate of two percent per year. These decisions were made during an Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Tuesday, 20 May.
However, Ward 36 Councillor Heinz de Boer has strongly criticised the proposed two percent annual pipeline replacement rate, deeming it “inadequate.” He argued: “All levels of government should be spending at least 8 percent of its budget on capital infrastructure maintenance. EThekwini currently has a capital budget of R7.1 billion, however most of it gets taken up by the daily operation of the city – which includes replacing burst pipes and fixing sewage.” De Boer added that he had been informed that some departments are facing severe funding shortages, hindering major projects to lay new pipes.
De Boer emphasised the critical need for increased reservoir capacity, particularly given that “economic hubs like Cornubia and Phoenix have gone extended periods without water.” He stated that additional reservoirs “would aid in diversifying water storage.” He further asserted: “In the immediate term, the budget isn’t set up to bring water to people and the bungling of the eThekwini municipality – which has gone back more than 10 years – and combined with the high-rising water loss figures, it is a direct result of the inadequacy of the management of the various departments, deputy city managers and the city manager to address these issues.”
Expressing grave concerns about future implications, de Boer added: “I fear that we could be cast into a more desperate situation due to changing political leadership and I think there’s a level of arrogance within the municipality where some good suggestions have been ignored. They are a disgrace to their profession and the ratepayers of eThekwini should be holding them, the administration who make these budgets and who have not taken sufficient action in the past 10-15 years, responsible for the dire situation residents find themselves in.”
In response to the ongoing challenges, the municipality confirmed plans to commission two new reservoirs in Emona and Burbreeze to support the oThongathi area. Sibusiso Vilane, Acting Director of the Water and Sanitation Unit (EWS), acknowledged that areas such as oThongathi, Waterloo, and Northdene continue to be “severely affected with supply disruptions linked to fluctuating treatment outputs, rising mains bursts and inadequate reservoir levels.”
Vilane stated: “The completion of large-scale projects marks progress, but balancing supply and demand remains a pressing issue. Extended outages are being tackled through pressure management, rationing and enhanced operations.” To further improve service reliability, the EWS has also initiated the insourcing of plumbers, a strategic move expected to “enhance operational efficiency, reduce repair times and align with the municipality’s revised plumbing policy.”
