THE eThekwini Municipality initiated emergency water rationing for communities supplied by the Southern Aqueduct including Durban South areas. These measures commenced on May 23 and are projected to remain in effect until Wednesday, May 27. 

Also read: Major milestone achieved in Southern Aqueduct upgrade

The decision came after the aqueduct, which is undergoing significant infrastructure upgrades, could not return to its full operating capacity following what had been a planned shutdown of the Southern Aqueduct and its associated tie-in works.

Despite the successful completion of critical tie-in works and the commissioning of the new steel pipeline on May 22, officials identified that one particular section of the older Prestressed Concrete Pipe (PCP) in Northbourne Road, Westville, remained closed.

According to the municipality, this compromised section is situated directly within the installation route of the new 1600mm steel pipeline, which forms part of the broader Southern Aqueduct upgrade initiative. 

The current Southern Aqueduct system is only capable of supplying between 175 and 180 megalitres of water each day. This figure falls considerably short of the 231 megalitres required daily to fully replenish the network’s demands.

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This situation has created a daily shortfall of roughly 50 megalitres, forcing the municipality to put these temporary water rationing measures into effect while the construction work continues.

Residents and businesses in the affected areas have been cautioned to prepare for low water pressure, unstable supply and intermittent water outages throughout the rationing period.

To fully restore normal operations, contractors must continue their installation efforts and proceed with replacing four lengths of the existing PCP pipeline. Once these final upgrades are concluded, the Southern Aqueduct is expected to revert to its full operating flow.

The Southern Aqueduct remains one of eThekwini’s most vital bulk water supply systems, serving communities across the southern and central regions of Durban.

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