Durban — The Verulam Water Crisis Committee has emailed a letter to the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, calling for urgent intervention in the supply of water to Durban’s northern suburbs.
In the letter, spokesperson Roshan Lil-Ruthan laid bare the communities’ plight – water scarcity over the past few months with its negative impact on the residents’ health-care facilities, businesses and schools.
“The economic ramifications of this water crisis cannot be ignored. Local businesses, both small and large, are crippled by the inability to operate without a reliable water supply, resulting in reduced productivity, income loss, and potential lay-offs. This crisis negatively impacts the livelihoods of residents and further undermines the already strained economic conditions in our region,” Lil-Ruthan said.
Lil-Ruthan suggested immediate intervention measures, such as the mobilisation of emergency resources and an oversight team of skilled engineers.
Lil-Ruthan also called for immediate provision of water tankers to affected areas, ensuring that every household has access to an adequate supply of clean water.
“We want the implementation of proactive measures to restore the Hazelmere Dam water treatment plants to reasonable levels, including infrastructure upgrades, and increasing the supply of drinking water immediately to the community of Verulam and surrounding areas,” he wrote.
He also called for improved communication between the departments and residents through regular updates and transparent reporting on progress towards resolving the water crisis.
eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said that the City’s water and sanitation unit (EWS) has developed a detailed and proactive plan of action to address water supply issues affecting Verulam and surrounding areas in the north.
“Regular meetings are held between EWS officials and affected ward councillors to ensure information is cascaded to affected communities.
“Interventions being implemented include analysing the current system to increase the water flow to the Mountview Reservoir, which is at the end of the Northern Aqueduct System,” said Sisilana.
Technical teams will be stabilising the Mountview Reservoir Zone first, and during that time, water supply to dependent reservoirs, namely Trenance 1 and 3, will be curtailed. Thereafter, Trenance 1 and 3 Reservoir Zones will be stabilised. The objective is to stabilise both reservoir zones, Sisilana said.
“Teams will continue to optimise the system by changing different air valves on the water trunk main.
“This has been identified as one of the major causes of the restricted water supply flow. All pressure-reducing valves in each of the three reservoir zones will be maintained. Any necessary refurbishment of pumps at the Mountview and Grange reservoirs will be undertaken,” added Sisilana.
The City also revealed that as a long-term solution, alternative sources of supply from boreholes and the Grange Reservoir have been identified and will be implemented.
Sisilana also said that immediate relief for the affected areas will be provided through water tankers and 30 of them have been allocated to the region and the distribution of water to affected communities will be co-ordinated through ward councillors.
The City also stated that static water tankers will be periodically filled by water tankers and will be located at strategic points within the affected zones in collaboration with ward councillors.
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