Durban – Umgeni Water says as a result of Eskom implementing load shedding the supply of drinking water to several municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal is being affected.
Hundreds of thousands of consumers within the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Msunduzi Local Municipality, iLembe District Municipality, Ugu District Municipality, Harry Gwala District Municipality, King Cetshwayo District Municipality and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality are unable to receive drinking water for the duration of load shedding and often longer as supply infrastructure recover from the effects of power outages, according to Umgeni Water’s spokesperson Shami Harichunder.
Harichunder said in the Mgeni System, the largest system in the province, the areas worst affected by water supply failures through power supply interruptions are Vulindlela, Mpophomeni and Hilton which use a pumping system.
Other areas that do not receive water during load shedding are KwaHaza, KwaChief and Mashingini, he said.
“In Impendle, all areas are affected while in the Mpofana system, Bruntville is often starved of water supply when power supply disruptions occur.”
He said the Midmar Pump Station and the Midmar Water Treatment Works are excluded from load shedding.
“When power outages occur, downstream Millfalls Reservoir is able to receive water from the Midmar Water Treatment Works and it, in turn, is able to transfer the water to the Howick West Reservoir.”
Harichunder said the water remains in the Howick West Reservoir until power supply is restored.
“Consequently, the reservoirs of uMgungundlovu District Municipality and Msunduzi Local Municipality in Vulindlela are unable to supply water to consumers in the vast area of Vulindlela. Water is pumped from the Groenkloof Reservoir in Hilton to Vulindlela. Hilton is affected when power supply outages occur.”
The reservoir in Richmond is also reliant on the Midmar Water Treatment Works supply zone,” he said.
“It is affected because water has to be pumped there as well. Areas within Richmond that are affected by no water supply are Ndaleni, Nhlazuka and Mbutshisweni. In the Mkhambathini area, Ukhalo is known to be unable to receive water.”
Harichunder further explained that Eskom’s recent implementation of Stage 5 and 6 load shedding have created power supply cut-offs in some instances for up to six hours per day.
“When power supply is restored, it takes at least an hour for the supply mechanisms, both in the bulk and reticulation networks, to return to full functionality. In the meantime, what little storage remains in reservoirs begin emptying out and there is no accompanying replenishment. This leads to supply interruptions to consumers.”
He said from the Midmar Water Treatment Works water is gravity fed to the eThekwini Metro via Point M in Umlaas Road.
“The eThekwini Metro is, therefore, able to receive full supply during load shedding for distribution to various areas, including Mid-Illovo, Eston, Umbumbulu and Hillcrest.”
The DV Harris Water Treatment Works, situated in the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg and part of the Mgeni System, continues to take the brunt during power shut-offs ,he said.
He said this plant supplies Umgeni Water’s seven reservoirs in the uMshwathi Region through pumping.
“All the receiving bulk and reticulation reservoirs in uMshwathi are left without water. Therefore, consumers in Swayimane, Trust Feed, Efaye, Ozwathini and Wartburg are unable to receive water.”
Harichunder said parts of the Middle South Coast served by Umgeni Water, from Amanzimtoti in eThekwini to Umzinto in Ugu, remain constrained.
“Load shedding results in downtime of the South Coast augmentation booster pump station, which is situated between Wiggins and Amanzimtoti and is used to pump water to the Amanzimtoti Water Treatment Works.
“Supply to eThekwini Metro is from the Wiggins Water Treatment Works through a series of reservoirs and the South Coast augmentation booster pump station and is supported by the Amanzimtoti Water Treatment Works.”
Harichunder said reduced volumes of potable water caused by power outages at the booster pump station vary between 20% and 30% or averaging a deficit of between 30 Ml/d and 40Ml/d - depending on the stage of load shedding.
“Higher stages of power outages cause high levels of water shortages. This results in reduced supply to eThekwini Metro for reticulation to Amanzimtoti and similar reduction in supply to Ugu District Municipality.”
He said the Umzinto Water Treatment Works loses approximately 30% in potable water production during load shedding periods. This is caused by reduced abstraction volumes of raw water from the Umzinto and EJ Smith dams because pumps are unable to work.
“When load shedding occurs, generators are used in what becomes a slow and long process that often yields less than the required volumes. A similar situation prevails at the Mtwalume Water Treatment Works, which also experiences reduced volumes of potable water produced due to reduced volumes of raw water abstracted.”
The Mid-South Coast systems’ full recovery time post-load shedding is, on average, two hours, he said.
“The water treatment plants in the King Cetshwayo District that are operated and managed by Umgeni Water are affected during power supply stoppages because they do not have stand-by generators. This means the potable water that is produced cannot leave the plants and the Water Services Authority does not have adequate water to distribute to consumers in Eshowe and surrounding areas.”