The eThekwini Municipality has announced that there are false and misleading media stories claiming that a ‘water cuts schedule’ is being established, after eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba’s announcement of water curtailment measures, effective October 10.
“The water curtailment is not water shedding where there is a schedule for water cuts at certain times. However, the purpose of the water curtailment is to avoid water shedding by bringing down the total volume used in a controlled manner,” said the municipality in a statement.
The reduction will last 12 months, and the City encouraged households to use water sparingly to help reduce high demand.
Rapid urbanisation, illegal connections, and ageing infrastructure that has not been upgraded, are all contributing contributors to high water demand, said the municipality.
To ensure that residents are not negatively affected, the City will implement the following actions:
Installation of restrictors in water meters to all consumers.
Pressure reduction in the reticulation network.
Metering all unmetered consumers.
Improve turnaround time to repair leaks and burst pipes through the deployment of ward-based plumbers.
Community education around water conservation.
Disconnection of illegal water connections.
Water rationing where demand is too high or exceeds available supply.
“The average water consumption in eThekwini is very high, as it is between 270 and 298 litres per capita (person), per day (l/c/d) compared to the international average of 173 l/c/d. The water curtailment is critical in ensuring long-term water security and lowering overall demand.”
Throughout this process, the City stated that its experts will monitor the system and manage excessive demand.
IOL