An extended water outage affecting much of Endumeni has put a dampener on Diwali celebrations being observed by the Hindu community today.

Details surrounding the interruption remain sketchy, with the uMzinyathi District Municipality’s (which is responsible for water reticulation in Endumeni) Thandeka Ngcobo, commenting that ‘the standby team is investigating the possible cause. We will update asap.”
“The technicians are working around the clock to resolve the problem,” Ngcobo told the Courier.

Unofficial reports point to technical problems at the Tayside pumping station, with one source, who is not authorised to speak on behalf of the municipality, saying no water was currently being extracted from the Buffalo River.

“At this stage, no water is being extracted from the Buffalo River,” the source said.

Other unconfirmed reports suggest that lightning strikes may have damaged pumping infrastructure, contributing to the disruption.

Water tankers and restoration remain unclear

It is also not known whether water tankers will be deployed to assist affected communities or when normal supply is expected to resume.

Further updates will be published as soon as official information becomes available.