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The eThekwini Municipality executive council has approved the City’s bold water and sanitation turnaround strategy.
The municipality said that its water and sanitation unit developed an ambitious turnaround strategy aimed at improving service delivery to local communities.
“The strategy has been developed in response to the challenges in providing basic water and sanitation services to residents, as well as in response to water security, water reliability and wastewater treatment and sewage spills,” the municipality said.
It said that the turnaround strategy, tabled and approved at the City’s Full Council meeting on Wednesday, is expected to ensure the City’s Constitutional obligation to provide basic water and sanitation services is met while safeguarding more effective and efficient water and sanitation services to communities.
“The municipality has identified three priority actions to achieve these objectives: Emergency Financial Turnaround Programme, managing the water and sanitation service as a business, and implementing a management contract to achieve a turnaround of the business,” the municipality said.
Significant collaboration
It said the turnaround strategy was developed in conjunction with the National Treasury and the National Department of Water and Sanitation.
“Immediate actions identified to improve water and sanitation services include a meter installation and replacement contract and a pressure reduction contract. There is also a need to improve the management of existing contracts, including meter reading and meter installation and replacement,” the municipality said.
“In the medium term, the objective is to achieve water security. This includes reducing demand by 18% to 330 million kl per annum, ensuring the uMkhomazi Dam project is on track, and ensuring reuse projects are on track.
“These measures will contribute to the municipality’s efforts to provide basic water and sanitation services to the local communities, meet its Constitutional obligations, and maintain its funding from the National Treasury,” the municipality said.
Earlier, eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda delivered his State of the City Address.
Kaunda said they are aware of water challenges in areas such as uMlazi, Folweni, Ngonyameni, kwaMakhutha, Adams, and Chatsworth.
“Together with Umgeni Water, we are finalising plans to upgrade the Southern Aqueduct which, when completed – will provide these areas with a reliable supply. The project will cost over R900 million,” he said.
Kaunda said they were also aware of water challenges in Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, Inanda and Lindelani which have been compounded by the damage to the pump station which caught fire recently. In the interim, the city is using water tankers to supply water to affected households. They were planning to place static tanks in the area to augment water tankers while repairs are under way.
Massive damage
Kaunda said that the municipality’s sewer infrastructure suffered extensive damage during the floods. This resulted in the pollution of most of our rivers and beaches, which adversely affected the tourism sector over the summer holiday season.
“The fact that today out of 23 beaches, 19 are open and safe for bathing, speaks volumes about the strides we have made to repair our sanitation infrastructure. This can be attributed to the repairs we have completed in our pump stations along the coastal lines,” Kaunda said.
He said great progress has also been made in repairing damaged sewer lines in Peace Palm and Rietview in Phoenix. This has stopped sewer leakages which were contaminating the Ohlange River.
“A few weeks ago, we also completed the repairs for a temporary sewer line along the uMlazi canal which has helped us to prevent the contamination of the uMlazi River and other beaches in the south of Durban,” Kaunda said.
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Hard at work
He said contractors are currently hard at work repairing two of the municipality’s major wastewater treatment works in Umbilo and Northern Wastewater Treatment Works in Sea Cow Lake. While work continues, these plants are operating at 50% capacity.
“The flood relief grant is also going to help us fast-track the ongoing repairs that will see these facilities operating at full capacity soon.
“We are facing a serious challenge with sewerage manholes that are clogging. Sadly, this is a result of the conduct of some residents who have a habit of disposing of foreign objects in the sewage system. As part of our interventions, the municipality has commenced the process of procuring additional 50 jetting machines for the new financial year. This is going to enable our teams to respond timeously to sewer blockages that are reported,
“We have also embarked on an educational campaign to change this behaviour. We want to appeal to fellow councillors and community leaders to spread the word about the importance of keeping our sewer systems clear,” Kaunda said.
