No end to Westbrook infrastructure woes

With many taps still running dry and months worth of infrastructure issues, Westbrook’s once firm status as a jewel of the North Coast is slowly slipping away.

Three weeks since the first water disruption, which ostensibly occurred following a burst pipe outside Crawford International North Coast’s main gate, and many residents still have but drips coming from their faucets.

“We are being denied a basic human right and this is absolutely ridiculous! Nothing works. If its not raw sewage running into the ocean, it’s water pipe break after water pipe break and its not getting attended to as a priority,” said resident Yolande Böhmer.

Although water has returned to some homes, they are generally along Westbrook Beach and the gravity system is working in their favour.

Since the main pipe burst and consequent reservoir clean-out, eThekwini Metro re-engaged an old ring pipe system from the 1980s which is meant to be a safeguard against water disruptions.

This water is fed through neighbouring Desainager, which has not experienced disruption, but residents have complained that there is no water pressure to speak of.

For those who have homes at higher altitude however, it has been 1 or 2 days of functional water supply at a time, with residents scrambling to fill any containers for fear of it going off again.

This image captured a sewage spill 3 months prior to the featured image, clearly showing that nothing has changed.

“We have not been running off the ring feed. When it was installed there was nowhere near the amount of people living in the area. Same with the power grid. You will never stay ahead of the curve if you build infrastructure for what the population is now,” said a resident who asked not to be named.

The residents who have not seen water return in any meaningful way now face daily issues of hygiene, particularly with school holidays and full homes.

“I care for an elderly lady who unfortunately soils herself. This has been the case for a while and I know how to deal with it hygienically, but now I am unable to do washing of clothing or bedding. I have to pay for laundry service out of pocket, just to ensure we live in a clean environment,” said a Westbrook Gardens resident.

eThekwini Metro promised water tankers for residents who were still affected 13 days ago, but residents say that this has not been a solution for the demand, if they turn up at all on most days.

The ongoing water issue is just the newest in a series of infrastructure problems that Westbrook has encountered.

Chief among them is the consistent failure and leakage from the town’s sewerage stations and auxiliary pumps.

The once blue-flag beach has been coated in sewage at least 3 times since November 2021 alone, driving away tourists and residents alike.

Added to the main beach woes is a revelation that the main lifeguard tower is structurally in dire need of repair.

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This after a resident contacted a private engineer to look at the structure, without any input from the municipality.

“The tower is not cordoned off, as it is still sound. Five columns have spalling and the officials are sorting out how to budget for repairs. It must be done with haste given we are a tourist city and our beaches should be top notch,” said Ward 58 councillor, Geoff Pullan.

This tower is also the only source of public toilets in the beach area and when shutdown overnight, much of the beach road becomes a public urinal.

When combined, the issues encountered by Westbrook residents in the past 6 months paint a dire picture of eThekwini Metro’s ability to preempt infrastructure challenges.

eThekwini Metro spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela had not responded to queries at the time of print.

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