IN recent weeks residents have raised concerns over the installation of flow restrictors across Ward 36.

More than 100 000 flow restrictors have been installed on water meters across eThekwini which the municipality began rolling out to enforce responsible water usage.

According to the City the intervention was in response to the Department of Water and Sanitation directive to reduce consumption by 8.4%.

According to ward councillor Heinz de Boer,  residents say among the problems are leaks on water meters due to  flow restrictors and the parts used, particularly the coupling.

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De Boer added he has been contacted by residents who have complained about shoddy workmanship and questioned whether the new flow restrictors were built to standards due to the number of leaks.

“There are contractors who are going street by street across the ward, checking meters, installing flows restrictors and checking for illegal connections. As meters are municipal assets, they legally have the right to check meters. This however does not mean I am in agreement with this policy. I have since day one advocated that the department should rather be spending money on pipe replacement, infrastructure upgrades and basics,” he said.

Gugu Sisilana, the eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, said there is no evidence to suggest the installation of flow restrictors or the coupling on either side of the water meter are to blame.

“It is important to note that flow restrictors do not stop the flow of water. Out of the 130 000 restrictors installed, only a few have shown minor leaks at the coupling. Other issues such as burst meters, connection leaks, or no-water complaints are generic faults that can occur at any time and are not directly related to the restrictor installation programme.

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“The installation process also allows the meter audit team to verify property and meter numbers, replace defective meters, raise meters to above ground, and validate consumption against property records. While leaks may occasionally occur during the installation of a restrictor, teams are on standby to address any issues within 24 hours,” she said.

Sisalana added that all properties supplied from the Umgeni System will be fitted with restrictors to comply with the water curtailment directive.

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