DURBAN - CHATSWORTH residents have been without water for almost week, leaving many having to buy bottled water and leave their homes to bath and shower at friends’ and relatives' homes.
Some said they have yet to see a water tanker in their area.
Waheeda Amhed said she has not had water for three days.
“To add to it, some parts of Chatsworth have no lights. Tell me what is going on. How do they expect us to live?” she asked.
Another resident, Rita Govender, called the situation "unacceptable".
"We’ve had no water for four days. We pay our utility bills on time yet. I called eThekwini customer line and was told there are no tankers available to come and supply water to us. I’m so fed up now that I wish that I could get hold of one of the council members and give them an earful regarding the treatment we’re receiving," Govender said.
According to Sameera Hussain, she has called to report the outage to eThekwini Municipality and was told it was a burst pipe causing the issue.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said they were aware of water supply issues in Shallcross, Klaarwater and Pinetown.
"In the meanwhile, the repairing of the pipe is progressing very well as shoring has been completed. Technicians are on site busy with the actual repair work. Teams will be working throughout the night to ensure that at least by tomorrow some areas start to receive water.
“The municipality apologises for the inconvenience caused and requests that the public remain patient," he said.
The public is urged to constantly alert the city in the event of shortcomings in its “temporal water relief measures”.
eThekwini also requested the public to always stay clear of its servitude, a hurdle that slowed progress in this repair work.
Earlier this year, residents had to scramble for water after the Northdene reservoir suffered a broken pump.
For more information on water supply, residents can contact the call centre on 080 131 3013, the toll-free number on 080 311 1111 or the eThekwini Water and Sanitation WhatsApp number on 073 148 3477.
IOL