More water woes for Tongaat residents as eThekwini Municipality stops supply

More water woes as the eThekwini Municipality has stopped water supply from the Tongaat South Reservoir until further notice.

Sep 3, 2022 - 10:23
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More water woes for Tongaat residents as eThekwini Municipality stops supply

Tongaat residents will have to continue relying on water tankers as the eThekwini Municipality has stopped the water supply from the Tongaat South Reservoir. 

The supply was stopped through the emergency pipeline from Nyaninga Reservoir to the Tongaat South Reservoir and this will be the case until further notice.

WATER WOES FOR TONGAAT RESIDENTS 

The eThekwini Municipality said the decision was taken in the interest of ensuring that tap water is of good quality.

It further said it has detected that water from boreholes privately constructed by residents is seeping into the reservoir’s reticulation. 

“Water from boreholes is not suitable for cooking and drinking but is fine for other uses. Despite the supply from the Tongaat South Reservoir having been shut down, the City has been alerted that some consumers within this zone are still receiving water. Those residents are advised not to use the water for drinking purposes or to boil it before use.”

eThekwini Municipality
ethekwini tongaat
Residents of Bhambayi settlement walk with buckets filled with water after filling them form a water tanker as a result of interruptions by heavy rains and floods on the M25 highway in Inanda, north of Durban on April 13, 2022. – Devastating floods killed 259 in the South African city of Durban and surrounding areas, a senior government official said on April 13, 2022, after hillsides were washed away, homes collapsed, and more people were still feared missing. The heaviest rains in 60 years pummelled Durban’s municipality, known as eThekwini. According to an AFP tally, the storm is the deadliest on record in South Africa. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

AREAS AFFECTED

Areas that feed from the affected reservoir include:

  • Watsonia, 
  • Buffelsdale, 
  • Mithanager, 
  • Truro Lands, 
  • Gandhinagar, 
  • Chelmsford Heights, and
  • Part of Tongaat’s central business district

Water supplied through water tankers is reportedly not affected. The Municipality further urged residents with boreholes to register with eThekwini Water and Sanitation department.

WOMAN ALLEGEDLY ‘KILLED’ BY ETHEKWINI MUNICIPAL WATER 

On 26 August 2022, the Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal, visited the home of Suraj Baijnath who tragically lost his wife, Rashnie Baijnath, after allegedly drinking contaminated municipal water in Birchwood. 

Birchwood residents had been cautioned by eThekwini to not drink or cook with the tap water as it was unsafe to do so. A few days later, the municipality said the issue detected has been fixed and water is safe to drink only to backtrack on that again. 

According to the DA, on 10 August 2022, Rashnie Baijnath died after consuming municipal water. The cause of death was noted as “diarrhoea”.

Community members also informed the party that they also experienced mild symptoms of diarrhoea that eventually led to the municipality cutting the water supply. To date, they are dependent on water tankers and donations from NGOs for clean water.

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