RESIDENTS from Athlone Park to as far as the Ugu District Municipality found themselves without water for up to 13 hours per day when the eThekwini Municipality recently switched off the South Coast Augmentation (SCA) pump station in Umlazi which is solely responsible for 80% of the water supply of the south.

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A recent notice by the eThekwini Municipality cited the reason behind switching off the pump station lies in the system’s struggle to recover and maintain adequate levels in the dependent reservoirs following the shutdown of uMgeni uThukela’s Wiggins Water Treatment Works in April.

The pump station was switched off every night for six-hour periods, however, residents were without water for up to 13 hours. The SCA is designed to operate 18 out of 24 hours, thus allowing the system to recover during the remaining  six hours’ window. As such, when there are sufficient reserves, residents do not directly experience this, however, increasing demands have resulted in a delay in supply.

Ward 97 councillor André Beetge said, “The water disruption worsened on the morning on June 23, with taps still running dry due to personnel being unable to attend their early morning opening duties due to vehicles having run out of fuel. This remains a bitter pill to swallow, especially against the backdrop where water and sanitation is on record as being underspent on its budget.

“The immediate area facilitates no less than nine gravity-fed reservoirs, all of which were not supplying water. This reflects poor management, a lack of communication and unnecessary strain on an already frustrated community that have to suffer the burden of forced increases in rates, yet a decrease in service delivery from the municipality.”

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