The eThekwini municipality says the supply of potable, drinking water has been restored to most of oThongathi north of Durban.
Since April, large parts of the town have relied on water tankers. The town’s water infrastructure was severely damaged by floods that destroyed the main water treatment plant.
The municipality’s head of water and sanitation Ednick Msweli says water supply from the Emona Reservoir in the north of the town has been restored after leaks were fixed.
Msweli says teams are still fixing leaks on pipelines that supply Hambanathi with water.
“As much as we are supplying that area but the water is just not enough to meet the demand. So we are currently working on that repairing the leaks as fast as we can. We’ve installed metres so that we can see how much water is actually going there compared to the people, the population of that particular area. But early in the new year, in January, we are actually going to start running two pumps. Once the contractors are back on site they are going to commission a second pump to Hambanathi so that we have more water going there.”
oThongathi resident in Metcalf Park, 73-year-old Jakes Naidoo is over the moon with the water being restored.
“I don’t know, I’m all lost for words actually. My wife took a photo of the tap, opening the tap. As I said I was from the farm and opening the tap and water is coming out, it was so much relief. Thank God for that, you know. Every day we prayed that we get water. And now, as you say now, I’m gonna go to a birthday party. I’m having a good bath,” Naidoo says.
VIDEO | eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda addresses protesting oThongathi community over the water crisis in the area:
