After suffering for months since the April floods, Tongaat’s Hambanathi residents can at last expect water in their taps as soon as next week, with the rest of Tongaat following by mid-November.

This is according to eThekwini Metro, who on Monday confirmed the long-awaited reconstruction of the Othongathi water treatment plant was complete and only required final testing before the water could be released.

The treatment plant was destroyed by the floods and the extended period without access to piped potable water led to several protests in and around Tongaat.

eThekwini spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the testing of water quality and pumps would begin on Wednesday this week.

“We will be pumping water to Hambanathi on Thursday. If no system issues are reported, we will then allow the Hambanathi reservoir to supply the zone. This will, of course, be dependent on how the system reacts,” said Mayisela.

He said they foresaw Hambanathi residents receiving water by next week Tuesday.

“If all goes well, we will be distributing water to all other areas by the middle of November.”

Mayisela warned residents that brown-coloured water may come from the taps because of scouring of the reservoirs and pipelines which were not in use.

“Water must be boiled before consumption during the commissioning period and the water may also be milky due to air in the system. This will clear on its own when allowed to stand for a minute.”

He said high-level zones will take longer to receive water compared to the low-lying areas and residents must avoid storing water so that the water supply system can stabilise.

“No individual storage tanks should be connected to the municipal supply. Do not fill pools, avoid washing cars and watering gardens during commissioning. Water must be used sparingly.”

He said bursts, stolen water meters and leaks must be reported to 073 148 3477 via WhatsApp, alternatively to the call center at 080 1313 013 or the ward councillor.

When reporting, the following information should be provided to speed up the process – street name and area, house number closest to the leak, description of the leak, and telephone number of a reliable contact person.

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