Taps have begun to run dry, and more water cuts are expected in certain Mandeni and KwaDukuza areas as repair work at the Sundumbili waterworks in Mandeni is expected to only be completed by Friday.

Considerable damage was caused at the plant after a fire broke out on Sunday when a transformer exploded.

iLembe District Municipality operations manager for Mandeni, Xolelwa Mazibuko, said an electrical contractor had been appointed and was on site doing repairs.
“Eskom has also appointed a contractor to replace the damaged transformer,” said Mazibuko.

She said they had to wait for insurance assessors to complete inspections on Tuesday.

Owing to water levels dropping at the command reservoirs, some households have begun experiencing low pressure, while others already have no water.

“Water tankers have been dispersed to provide water for basic use. It must be noted, however, that the turnaround time of tankers is currently longer as they have to travel to Maphumulo and Etete in KwaDukuza to fetch water,” she said.

While repairs may be completed and tested on Friday, it won’t necessarily mean immediate availability of water.

“The treatment process at Sundumbili and the filling of command and distribution reservoirs will take some time. We just have to get through the actual repairs for now,” said Mazibuko.

Contact the 24- hour call centre at 032-4379371 and 032-4379427 or send a WhatsApp message to 074 344 3408 for more information.

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