THE eThekwini Municipality is losing about 60% of water due to ageing infrastructure and illegal connections. This emerged during the Auditor-General’s (AG) report for the 2024/2025 financial year tabled at the recent full council meeting. The AG issued eThekwini Municipality an unqualified audit.

The report confirms “that the annual financial statements present eThekwini’s financial position in accordance with all applicable accounting standards”.

According to the report, the negative performance is attributed to the ageing infrastructure which has resulted in burst pipes and leaks, causing the municipality to lose a significant amount of water.

Also read: Improper waste disposal causes sewer blockages in Clairwood

However, DA PR councillor Sithembiso Ngema said the report reflects the municipality’s failure to provide services to the community.

“And that is why eThekwini water loss skyrocketed and reached 60,9% which means less water goes to people and higher rate of treated clean water gets lost, although ratepayers foot the bill. Even the Auditor-General touched on this. A non-revenue water (NRW) level of 60.9% means that more than half of all treated water is lost (through persistent leaks and illegal connections), unbilled or uncollected. This translates into losses of well over R2b,” said Ngema.

In a statement, eThekwini Municipality said the report reflects solid progress in strengthening financial management, performance reporting, and overall governance.

Also read: Massive clean-up planned for Glanville Garden site

“The report confirmed the annual financial statements and presents eThekwini’s financial position in accordance with all applicable accounting standards. Importantly, the Auditor-General once again confirmed that there were no material findings on the financial statements, an important milestone in improving financial controls and reporting integrity. This improved audit outcome demonstrates that focused leadership, strengthened oversight, and disciplined financial management can deliver tangible results. While challenges remain, the municipality is firmly committed to sustaining these improvements and addressing all weaknesses identified by the Auditor-General,” read the statement.

In addition, the report also highlighted insufficient budget allocation for the 2024/25 financial year. It emerged that the Department of Water and Sanitation was allocated 50% of the budget as compared to the previous financial year, as a result by November 2024 the budget was depleted.

According to the report, the adjustment budget was made available by March 2025. As a result, the municipality lost four months of production and performance due to lack of funds.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.