Durban — EThekwini Municipality will buy 100 more water tankers to increase the supply of water to the affected areas of the City.
This was announced by mayor Mxolisi Kaunda in his State of the City Address on Tuesday night. The mayor said this would be an addition to the 55 tankers the City had procured last year.
He added that access to clean drinking water remained one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, which stated that access to basic sanitation was crucial in promoting the health and well-being of the people, thus restoring their dignity.
Kaunda said all efforts to build adequate sanitation infrastructure were aimed at ensuring that people live in clean and safe environments.
“In the current financial year, the municipality will procure an additional 100 water tankers. This will not only reduce the number of tankers we hire but will also allow us to improve the scheduling of water tankers.”
He added that to fight the theft of diesel, the new tankers will have “cameras all over”.
The mayor further stated that the addition of new tankers would save the City from contractors fighting for tenders to supply water with their tankers.
Besides tankers, the mayor said that in response to many challenges residents continue to face in the provision of water, the City has undertaken repairs and restoration work on a number of water treatment plants.
He said when the oThongathi Water Treatment Works repairs were completed, the community of oThongathi and surrounding areas, such as Hambanathi, Metcalf and Belvedere, saw a significant improvement in the supply of water.
Kaunda went on to list the projects the City was implementing as an ongoing effort to upgrade water supply, saying for the Southern Aqueduct, R1.2 billion has been allocated towards the replacement of the bulk pipe that supplies water in areas in the south of Durban such as uMlazi, Chatsworth, Nsimbini, KwaMakhutha, Golokodo, and Folweni.
An amount of R56 million is allocated for the upgrade of the Ntuzuma Pump Station which will bring relief to the communities of Inanda, Lindelani, Mancinza, eTafuleni, and parts of KwaMashu. Construction of Adams Reservoir 5 and 6 will be commissioned this year, he said.
Kaunda announced that Emona Reservoir, which was commissioned in December last year, cost R43m. The reservoir would also assist in supplying water to Motala Farm Housing Development and the proposed phase 2 of Sun Hills Housing Development.
The R30m KwaNqetho Reservoir, also commissioned last year, was also benefiting the communities of KwaNgcolosi and Embo.
“Honourable Speaker, we wish to update our residents that as part of our plans to alleviate water shortage and find new water sources, the council approved the signing of the R28bn upper uMkhomazi Bulk Water Project.
“Recently, the Minister of Water and Sanitation (Senzo Mchunu) and representatives from municipalities that are going to benefit from the project signed an off-take agreement for the implementation of phase one of the project. This new dam is scheduled for completion in 2032,” added the mayor.
He concluded by announcing that uMngeni-uThukela Water is also constructing a package plant of two megalitres, with an additional five megalitres by eThekwini Municipality in KwaXimba which will be commissioned by the end of this month.
The State of the City Address was preceded by the DA’s picket outside the venue and a boycott by the IFP, which called the address a whitewash.
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Daily News