The majority of residents in King Cetshwayo District Municipality (KCDM) will access clean running water from their taps before the end of the year.

District Mayor Sikhumbuzo Dlamini last week said 90 to 99 per cent of residents will be supplied with water by Christmas.

ALSO READ: King Cetshwayo District outlines comprehensive bulk water plan

Bringing the municipality closer to this goal is an official water project handover on 28 November, benefitting more than 4 000 households from Nkandla and uMlalazi.

“We are testing the Nkandla Vitshini Water Bulk Project, which will supply four tribal authorities,” said Dlamini, noting that wards 1 to 4 in uMlalazi and Ward 7 in Nkandla would be connected.

Another is Phobane Water Project, covering all uMlalazi wards and seven in Mthonjaneni Municipality.

“When we took over, that project had stopped after a pipe had burst and water had damaged some homesteads and washed away grave sites. Changing contractors also delayed this project.”

However, Dlamini said they completed the water reservoirs, with permission granted to install a water pipe beneath the R66, reaching reservoirs in Ohabeni and Ndlangubo.

Further to this, the mayor said they capacitated the water purification plant to take water to Mthonjaneni, while renewing and extending reservoirs in Ntembeni and Mfanefile to supply Sanguye and part of uBuka.

Future plans for water supply

Dlamini said the only municipality left is uMfolozi.

“Some areas have water infrastructure, so we buy water for them from the City of uMhlathuze. We have scheduled meetings with the city to discuss sourcing water from one of their dams, such as Nsezi Dam, to supply residents of uMfolozi.

“We are grateful to Richards Bay Minerals, which provided a water package plant to assist the community of uMfolozi.

“We are also planning to engage with the Department of Water and Sanitation, and Cogta about help with building a dam that will make water available for uMfolozi – or to help source water from Pongola Dam or intercept Mfolozi River and have a dam there,” he said.

The main challenge, especially in rural areas, is the vastness of the area, said Dlamini.

“With climate change, there is not adequate water. We supply water to communities through water pipes, gravity, diesel, boreholes and tankers.

“Some areas are mountainous, but the easiest way is to have a dam and a pump in the area to distribute water.”

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY