Water-saving initiatives implemented by the city are yielding positive results, writes eThekwini mayor, James Nxumalo
While we welcome the much-needed rainfall over the weekend before last, the drought has not ended.
There was heavy rainfall across the city, with 190.4mm of rain recorded in Durban; a recorded 64.6mm in Mount Edgecombe and 161.2mm in Virginia, according to the South African Weather Service.
Water restrictions and other water-saving measures will continue to be implemented until dams reach at least 70% capacity.
Despite the heavy rainfall, dam levels remain low. The figures as of May 9, show Midmar Dam’s capacity is 45.72%, while Albert Falls has a capacity of 33.01% with Inanda Dam at 76.61%.
EThekwini residents can rest assured municipal officials have been, and continue working hard to ensure residents have a steady supply of water. While some of these implemented initiatives may inconvenience residents, they are necessary to ensure the city’s taps do not run dry.
I can proudly say the various water-saving measures are yielding positive results. In March alone there was a noted saving of 5%. Further savings will be achieved with the commencement of the planned night restrictions in various parts of the municipality.
The planned night water restrictions (from 9pm to 4am) are being carried out across 124 reservoirs in eThekwini. This had to be done as water levels in Albert Falls and Midmar Dams continue to dwindle.
But on a positive note, various reservoirs which were previously empty, have started to refill as the demand is now being reduced to match the reduced supply to each municipality.
The installation of restrictors is another water-saving measure being carried out. Over 129 000 restrictors have been installed and have helped to ensure the water mains recharge sooner after being reopened by restricting supply to individual consumers.
The restrictors reduce the rate of flow to each property which means it will now take longer to fill a bucket of water or a kettle, thus preventing reckless usage of water.
It must be noted that water restrictors are installed at no cost. It has come to our attention that residents are being approached by scammers to pay for water restrictors to be installed. Municipal officials and contracted companies do not need to enter your home as they install the restrictor at a water metre outside the house for free.
A host of other measures have been implemented by the city. These include pressure reduction to reduce the frequency of bursts and leaks, as well as increasing the number of repair teams and equipment to prioritise and fast-track repairs and emergency pipe replacements and relays.
Other initiatives include various areas being load-shifted on to neighbouring supply systems to reduce the demand on the Midmar and Albert Falls supply system. Widespread community and councillor meetings are also taking place to sensitise consumers and appeal to them to reduce their daily consumption.
Projects with Umgeni Water and eThekwini Water are being fast-tracked to supplement supply into drought-stricken areas. Exception reports are also being extracted for consumers with high consumption which will be addressed individually. Fines will soon be imposed for tampering and non-compliance.
The use of recycled water for industrial, commercial and construction companies is also being made available for collection to reduce demand and reliance on potable water.
Hospitals, schools and clinics are also being addressed to comply with internal storage requirements according to our by-laws. There are also forced repairs being carried out to internal plumbing where high consumption and losses are ignored and pressures are being significantly reduced to avoid unnecessary bursts and water losses in affected areas.
Although the planned water cuts have yielded significant savings across eThekwini, it does come with its own set of technical challenges.
Depending on the elevation of properties and the extent of the areas served by each reservoir, there is a fair amount of air regressing into the system as many consumers either continue to drain the system beyond 9pm, or leave their taps open unknowingly.
The emptying of the water mains and the ingress of air inadvertently results in an increase of air-locals and leaks which are unavoidable.
The trickle in supply being experienced is due to the airlocks and the high demand at peak periods.
One simply needs to run the cold water tap for a while to get the air out. But this water should be saved and reused where possible.
Another issue is the increase in leaks which is being addressed by our increased staff numbers, who continue to deal with these issues as they occur. As time progresses, the system will stabilise as we continue to address the smaller localised issues.
Interventions are also being put in place to curb the bursting of pipes, which include the reduction in pressures in various areas where possible, prioritising the relay and replacement of mains that frequently burst. Additional funding has been granted to fast-track these projects.
While significant progress has been made, there is still more work to be done.
The installation of water restrictors which started in the northern areas will now be rolled out to cover all areas in the outer and inner western areas. This includes all areas from Cato Ridge to Westville, Durban North, greater KwaMashu and uMlazi.
As the whole city is under restrictions, once the above areas have been covered, the future phase of the restrictor roll-out will include the areas supplied from Inanda Dam, which is the Central and Southern Basin areas including the city centre, Isipingo, eManzimtoti and areas further south.
Consumers can expect this to continue until dam levels reach 70% or more. There is no predication for rains and the situation remains dire. Further restrictions will be imposed until the dams recover to a safe level.
While officials are working hard to mitigate the effect of the drought, we cannot do it alone. Without the assistance of the community we cannot effectively reduce our consumption as a city and will not be able to prevent our dams from running dry. Do your part and save water today.