Ugu meets residents over water supply

Picture Courtney Africa/African News Agency(ANA)

Picture Courtney Africa/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Mar 5, 2021

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DURBAN - FROM next week, Umgeni Water engineers are expected to begin work on Ugu Municipality’s northern water supply system.

This was according to Ugu Municipality spokesperson France Zama, who said they had concluded this arrangement with Umgeni Water.

“They have been tasked to conduct a diagnosis and resolve technical issues on the supply system for Hibberdene and surrounding areas. Through this exercise, we are determined to ensure a prompt restoration of water supply to the affected reservoirs, which are supplying areas of Hibberdene, Woodgrange and Stick farm,” he said.

Yesterday, the Daily News reported that Hibberdene residents have been without water for eight weeks and the municipality had met with affected residents, to outline plans and interventions in place to resolve the water supply disruptions in the area.

Nzama said interventions would be initiated as an immediate measure for restoring water supply to the affected areas, and involved strengthening technical the capacity.

“And while these initiatives are in progress, relief water supply to the affected areas will continue to be supplied through the static tanks, which have been strategically placed around the Hibberdene area. We encourage consumers to become members of our Facebook page by liking the page: ‘Ugu District Municipality’, to receive continuous and factual updates on water and sanitation related matters.”

Residents, frustrated about service delivery, united to form the South Coast Water Action Group, which aimed to engage the municipality through the courts, by either a letter of dispute or a summons, in order to assume control of the management and operation of the surrounding water infrastructure.

The group, which had met with the municipality, said had the presented medium and long-term plan been actioned sooner, there would not have been so many issues.

Group leader Hilton O’dwayer said flooding, a shortage of staff, as well as load shedding, were causes for the water problem.

“A former Ugu employee said the municipality sold a massive power plant, worth millions, on auction. It had 120 hours running time on it. Load shedding would not have affected the supply, had it not being sold. According to the same gentleman, when he worked there, they also had floods but it never affected the performance of the plant, as they had proper emergency programmes which worked,” he said.

O’dwayer said they would be conducting site inspections of the work being carried out.

Daily News

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