ETHEKWINI Mayor Cyril Xaba has highlighted some of the measures the city is working on to address water issues.

The mayor was responding to questions from the media during his oversight visit to the Southern Aqueduct on Wednesday.

Xaba said these measures include the in-sourcing of plumbers who will address known and new water leaks and added that the city  it is looking into “deploying technology” for real time feedback on burst pipes as a way of reducing the loss of water.

This technology, he said, should also include sensors along trunk lines and telemetry on reservoirs.

Also read: Watch: Mayor pleased with progress on water project

The mayor acknowledged that this would require resources and said that a R3.3b injection is in the pipeline should the city meet the requirements outlined by Treasury.

On water tankers – which he said continue to supply residents without water – Xaba said the city’s fleet currently stands at 264 water tankers and a process to procure 100 more is underway, in order to replace the hired ones.

Xaba said work is being done to divide the city into zones to map out areas to be serviced by the city’s water tankers. He explained that currently in the west, both hired and city tankers supply those areas; in the north only council-owned tankers service that part of the city; and in the outer west mainly hired tankers service that zone.

“As soon as we have built enough capability we will withdraw the hired tankers,” said Xaba.

Regarding recent floods, which the mayor said have “cost the city dearly” by damaging infrastructure over some years, Xaba stated that mitigation measures include fixing and rebuilding resilient infrastructure and maintaining the stormwater drainage system.

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