Mayor vows to keep water crisis on agenda until resolved

Mayor Cyril Xaba says water supply issues will remain a permanent item on the Executive Committee (EXCO) agenda until significant improvements are made.

He highlighted the municipality’s on-going engagement with uMngeni-uThukela Water Board (UUWB) and outlined a comprehensive strategy to address the crisis.

Following a meeting with UUWB Chairperson, Advocate Vusi Khuzwayo, and senior management on July 26, 2024, the city was advised to implement a two-pronged approach of detecting and repairing water leaks, and reducing household water consumption.

UUWB announced plans to introduce a progressive water curtailment strategy, reducing water abstraction by 108 megalitres per day over the next 12 months.

The municipality currently abstracts approximately 1500 megalitres of water daily — 25% above its contracted supply of 1100 megalitres. However, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has warned that the city must reduce its usage to the licensed volume within a year.

“The city must correct the imbalance in its water system to optimise supply,” Mayor Xaba said.

The mayor revealed alarming statistics from the 2019/20 financial year, highlighting a 51% water loss due to leaks and illegal consumption. This accounted for a R1.7 billion revenue loss. Over the past two financial years, the municipality has suffered water-related losses amounting to R4.03 billion, with an annual loss of 468 million kilolitres.

Between 2017 and 2023, the municipality saw a sharp decline in water revenue collections — from 97% in 2017/18 to just 67% in 2022/23 — while non-revenue water losses surged from 30% to over 50%.

“This debunks the notion that demand has increased — our system is simply leaking enormous volumes of water,” said Mayor Xaba. “We must strengthen water conservation efforts while urgently addressing pure water losses.”

The municipality is developing a Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy Business Plan, which will prioritise:

Leak detection and repairs

Installing meters in informal settlements and rural areas

Metering approximately 100 000 unmetered properties

Replacing outdated and dysfunctional meters

Strengthening metering and billing systems

Enforcing credit control and debt management policies

Mr Xaba said these measures were crucial to ensuring the city’s water sustainability and financial viability.

“The city must act now. Our people need water,” he said, confirming that the City Manager will soon present the Turnaround Strategy to EXCO for approval and implementation.