RESIDENTS in Wentworth, Merebank, Merewest and Austerville are among those set to benefit from the eThekwini Municipality’s intensified efforts to address water leaks, with the City reporting a 70% reduction in reported leaks since July.

Reported water faults have fallen from 13 000 in July to 3900 after municipal teams repaired more than 9000 leaks.

This was part of efforts led by eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba to stabilise water supply and reduce water losses.  Xaba visited areas in the South of Durban on September 23.

Also read: eThekwini Municipality introduces new water dashboard

Plumbers down tools over unpaid salaries

However, Ward 64 councillor Norman Gilbert reported that the ongoing dispute between the contracted plumbers and the municipality over unpaid salaries has forced workers to down tools again. According to Gilbert, plumbers stopped work as of Friday last week (October 2).

“Contract plumbers have actively blockaded all metro water depots. Consequently, there is currently zero work being conducted by the water department today. Normal leaks, water outages restorations, and scheduled plumbing maintenance cannot proceed while the depots remain inaccessible,” said Gilbert.

He said the ongoing standoff between the municipality and plumbers will be closely monitored to ensure that residents receive their basic services.

“I will ensure all residents are kept posted as developments unfold. Residents are advised to continue logging faults through official channels to ensure a chronological paper trail, though dispatch delays will persist until the depots are reopened,” Gilbert added.

Xaba said reducing the number of leaks from 13 000 to 3 900 shows what municipal teams can achieve when work on the ground is properly supported.

Also read: Emergency water rationing implemented

“While we are making steady progress, we are not yet where we need to be. Our focus remains squarely on closing the remaining leaks and bringing non-revenue water below 50%. Every litre lost to vandalism and illegal connections is water taken directly from residents, and we ask communities to partner with us to protect this infrastructure,” said Xaba.

Vandalism, illegal connections pose challenges in eThekwini

In a statement, the municipality said one of the major challenges identified across many areas of eThekwini is the continued vandalism of water pipes and public infrastructure, as well as illegal connections.

According to the municipality, these activities are placing severe pressure on the network, disrupting reliable water supply to communities and contributing to rising non-revenue water losses.

Residents are urged to report:

• Leaks.
• Burst pipes.
• Infrastructure vandalism.
• Illegal connections to the municipality.

Community reporting assists operations teams to respond swiftly and aids law enforcement in holding perpetrators accountable.

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