Durban: A 67-year-old Tongaat resident said hearing water coming out of his tap at 4am on Tuesday morning was like music to his ears.
Ramu Khomarsamy, who lives in the Watsonia area, has been living without piped water for 52 days.
On Monday, fed-up residents took to the streets in a peaceful protest, calling on government to provide more answers as to when water would return.
The CBD and Watson Highway were closed off.
Khomarsamy said he had left his bathroom tap slightly open, and it was his dog barking that woke him up.
“I think my dog was equally excited, as he hasn’t had a bath for more than a month,” said Khomarsamy.
He said as soon as the water returned, he wasted no time in filling up containers.
“Waiting for water tankers was a mission, and I was worried it would stop.
“I then began cleaning my house because I think it was very difficult to keep anything hygienic, especially the bathroom without water.”
Khomarsamy, who is a fitness fanatic, said he could not wait to take a hot shower after his gym session.
He said residents of Tongaat had had enough.
“It was the most frustrating thing.”
Rajen Pillay, a concerned resident, said since the protest, water tankers came to the Brake Village area.
“However, this must be a consistent thing, not only when residents protest.”
Yogis Govender, a DA councillor, said she had received reports that water had also returned to other areas, including Chelmsford Heights.
“Whilst the south areas have come on, sporadically, eThekwini officials have offered absolutely no explanation as why the work at Mamba ridge has stalled.
“The protests are a sure sign that Tongaat has been patient enough, but EWS time has run out.
“The tanker debacle is nothing short of dismal. The situation on the ground is dozens of JoJo’s are not filled, residents not receiving water because the complement of tankers has been wholly insufficient.”
She said residents were waiting on roads until 1am for water from private sponsors.
In a statement on Facebook, the City said:
Arrangements to rebuild the Tongaat Water Treatment Plant are at an advanced stage. The access road to the plant is being repaired, and the repairs are at an advanced stage, although the heavy rain last weekend delayed the progress.
Procurement processes to start rebuilding the plant have been finalised, and the work will commence as soon as a contractor is appointed. In the interim, the Municipality continues to supply water through water tankers and 48 static tanks. There are also boreholes and a donated package plant which supplies non-drinking water.
IOL