Durban - eThekwini Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda will, on Wednesday, launch renewable energy and water reuse pilot projects.
The City said in a statement on Monday that the municipality’s Water and Sanitation Unit is taking proactive measures to explore new and innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption, to recover untapped energy, and to develop an integrated water reuse system for the City.
“This is in response to the growing water demand and national energy crisis. As a result, eThekwini Municipality is exploring innovative solutions to secure its water supply from other resources to augment surface water supply and to recover untapped energy from its water distribution networks,” said the statement.
The launch will take place at the Water Reuse Demonstration Plant– KwaMashu Wastewater Treatment Works and the Mini Hydro Power Demonstration Plant – uMhlanga Reservoir 2.
Meanwhile, The Mercury reported on Sunday that the city of Durban has been selected as the host for the prestigious 19th World Water Conference taking place in 2025.
The conference is expected to inject millions into the local economy.
City manager Musa Mbhele, who is in Beijing, received the symbolic baton from the president of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), Li Yuanyuan and the Minister of Water Resources in Beijing, Li Guoying.
Mbhele said this important event comes at a crucial time when the city and other parts of the country face substantial water challenges.
“We can confirm that the 2025 event in the city of Durban will be co-hosted with our partners in Sub-Saharan Africa and the African continent as a whole, reinforcing our commitment to finding regional solutions to water-related issues.”