AS residents of Moseley and Northdene in Ward 63 continue to grapple with a water crisis that has left their taps dry for weeks on end, frustrations boiled over on Thursday morning as they held a protest to vent their frustrations.

The protest, which was organised by a group of residents under the Water Crisis Committee, staged a march to the Clover factory on Richmond Road with many suggesting the company played a part in the water supply issues.

Residents also questioned whether water was being diverted away from their taps to cater to large businesses or bulk consumers like Clover, in the area.

The prolonged disruptions were also addressed in a heated public meeting with the Head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation, Ednick Msweli,  on Wednesday evening at the Firwood Sports Club.

In that meeting, a slideshow from city officials cited maintenance challenges, leaks and bursts as well as an increased demand from Clover plant upgrades which led to water supply challenges.

Maliska Stuart, a Northdene resident and member of the committee, handed over a memorandum to Sarel Swanepoel, the plant manager at the Clover manufacturing site on Thursday.

“We are not against Clover, nor do we have a vendetta against them. We are requesting urgent engagement with their management regarding the impact they have on water resources and supply. The Water Crisis Committee is made up of residents from Northdene, Moseley, Escombe, Shallcross and surrounding areas.

“The current water crisis being experienced is unacceptable and it has been crippling. We are looking at a total of 170 days without water and we want to make them aware of the impact. We understand they need water but we also need water. We want to find a way forward that gives everyone an equitable share of water,” she said.

It is understood the Clover factory shuts down production for four hours on a weekend to allow for residents to have water running through their taps.

In March this year, the eThekwini Municipality said the disruption in water supply to the ward was due to the Southern Aqueduct not having adequate pressure going into the Northdene 3 Reservoir, which is a main command reservoir with dependent reservoirs.

“The low pressure is affecting pumping operations to the Firwood Reservoir, which in turn results in low storage and affects supply to high-lying areas. Water at the Firwood Reservoir then drops to a level which is insufficient to provide the pressure required to get water to high-lying areas. Affected areas include parts of Northdene, Queensburgh, Moseley and Malvern,” said city spokesperson Gugu Sisilana at the time.

“As part of multi-pronged interventions, the City will manage water demand by isolating supply at certain times to its bulk service consumers in order to build sufficient storage levels. This will allow pumping to high-lying areas. This will be done in liaison with affected parties to ensure they are not adversely affected and to ensure that all consumers receive water consistently.”

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