DURBAN - Umgeni Water has said that heavy rains over the past four days has caused substantial damage to some of its raw water abstraction and conveyance infrastructure in at least three regions.
It said due to the damage, potable water production has been compromised, which will result in significant reduction in supply of drinking water to eThekwini Municipality, Ugu District Municipality and iLembe District Municipality.
“An appeal is, therefore, being made to these municipalities to please reduce demand in order for Umgeni Water to try to effectively manage available water resources.”
Some of the damage includes two aqueducts, which convey raw water to the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works, that broke due to rock falls in the vicinity of Inanda.
These aqueducts have since been taken out of use due to the risk they pose to property and people.
Other damage reported overnight has confirmed that the river abstraction system in the Mtwalume River on the South Coast is not functioning because of a blockage caused by the flooded river.
It added that abstraction from the Umzinto River Dam has reduced significantly due to high overflows, resulting in only 60% of the potable water required being produced at the Umzinto Water Treatment plant.
In iLembe, potable water production at the Lower Thukela Bulk Water Supply Scheme has been reduced because of high turbidity in raw water and abstraction pumps continue to fail as a result of silt in the abstraction channels.
The command reservoir levels are low and, as a consequence of this, supply to KwaDukuza Central Business District, Darnall, Zamani and Zinkwazi has been interrupted.
It added that at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant, the two aqueducts that have been damaged in the rock fall are among four aqueducts that convey water from Nagle Dam for treatment at the Durban Heights facility.
“The consequence has been that the plant is currently receiving raw water input from only two of the functioning aqueducts. The plant, therefore, is only treating half of the amount of water it normally treats and supplies daily. Water treated at this plant is conveyed to eThekwini Water and Sanitation, which supplies consumers in the north, south, central and inner west regions of Durban.
“The current potable water shortfall means that eThekwini Water and Sanitation is unable to meet the full requirements of consumers.”
Umgeni Water said until the aqueducts are repaired and brought back into full functionality, a deficit in raw water supply will prevail, and therefore a reduced supply of bulk potable water will continue.
“The impact on consumers will be experienced in erratic supply, interruptions in supply or low pressure in taps.”
On the South Coast, it said apart from failure of the abstraction system, additional damage caused by localised flooding was the loss of the standby back-up submersible pumping system at the Mtwalume Water Treatment Plant.
“Due to the current situation, Umgeni Water is unable to treat water at the plant for supply to Ugu District Municipality. This situation will unfortunately prevail until the level of the river subsides, thereby allowing asset management staff to reach the abstraction equipment for removal and repair,” it said.
“Restoration of the standby pumping system is being treated as a priority. Water treated at this plant is ultimately received by consumers in Mtwalume, Ifafa, Bazley, Sezela and surrounding areas.”
In addition, it said there was reduced production at the Umzinto Water Treatment Plant due to abstraction difficulties.
This means that Umgeni Water is unable to meet the full demand of Ugu District Municipality for supply to Umzinto, Park Rynie, Pennington, Kelso and Malangeni.
“Unfortunately, this production and supply deficit will continue until Umgeni Water is able to abstract the full amount of raw water it requires,” the company said.