Umgeni Water Board is expected to take over bulk water supply from uThukela District Municipality in August.
Working in partnership with Umgeni Water Board is hoped to help uThukela address water service backlogs and also ensure that there is a sustainable supply of bulk potable water within the time-frame that is specified in the National Development Plan (NDP).
This stipulates that by 2030, all households are to have access to potable water yard connections for human consumption.
Currently, according to uThukela spokesperson Jabulani Mkhonza: “uThukela is currently the only water services authority in the KwaZulu-Natal province that manages both bulk water supply and reticulation services.”
Umgeni Water Board will co-fund a partnership with uThukela on the costs of refurbishing, upgrading and construction of new water and waste water infrastructure.
“The signed partnership agreement stipulates that the implementation of this agreement will commence from the beginning of the 2018/19 municipal financial year.
In this agreement, Umgeni Water Board will manage the bulk water services and uThukela District Municipality will handle reticulation services,” states Mkhonza.
There are no major changes to be expected to happen when this partnership commences, except that the bulk water services will be handled by Umgeni and not uThukela.
Umgeni Water Board will be accountable to uThukela as the bulk water services entity.
uThukela District Municipality will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of Umgeni Water Board in the management of bulk water services.
When asked about the costs involved in this partnership, the following was stated by Mkhonza: “Umgeni Water Board will charge uThukela a bulk water tariff that is determined by the Minister of Water & Sanitation on an annual basis. This is applicable to all water services authorities in the country.
“Equitable share and municipal-owned revenue will be used to pay for the bulk water service.”
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