The eThekwini Municipality has announced that residents in some parts of oThongathi will have water flowing from their taps again from as early as next week.

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, and eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, made the announcement during a community meeting held at Tongaat Indoor Sports Centre on Friday.

The restoration of water supply comes after the completion of a tie-in on the Mamba Ridge Pipeline from Hazelmere Dam to Mamba Ridge Reservoir.

The new connection will assist to direct an additional two million litres of water a day from Hazelmere Dam to some parts of oThongathi.

“We did have several meetings and the work started earnestly following those meetings. I am here to announce to you that the tie-in is done. This is as per an undertaking we had made to resolve the issue of water challenges in Tongaat.

“The only thing we need to do now is to do the tests to establish whether there are any leaks in the pipes. We also need to check the quality of water as these are new pipes,” Mchunu told the community.

Mchunu called for the community’s patience during water testing. He also appealed to the community to boil water when it is used for drinking purposes.

“There will be water available but there will be tests that are made to determine its quality. This is just a precautionary measure.

“It does not imply that there is any fault or doubt. It is just a precaution until we are certain that the water is 100% good for drinking,” the Minister said.

OThongathi was severely affected during the floods earlier this year, with its water treatment works destroyed, leaving the area without water supply.

Following the flood damage, government assured residents that the city would work tirelessly to complete repairs to the oThongathi Water Treatment Plant.

Kaunda said full repairs are expected to be completed by end of October.

He said the new connection to the Mamba Ridge pipeline was done through the assistance of Umgeni Water, working jointly with the city.

The Mamba Ridge Reservoir was filled on 15 September 2020 and thereafter, water will be pumped to the Jan Roz Reservoir.

The system is expected to take a few days to stabilise before water will flow to the Jan Roz zone, which includes the following suburbs:

• Maidstone

• Fairbreeze

• Sand fields

• Pringle Area

• Nordberg Road

• Magwaveni

Depending on the sufficient water supply from the Jan Roz Reservoir, water can then be pumped to the Burbreeze Reservoir Zone and the following suburbs will also then receive water:

•           Sandfields Residential area

•           Maidstone Area

•           Culls Farm

•           Burlane

The municipality said a decision has also been taken that water supply with the tankers will continue to augment water coming out of the taps.

“Residents will continue to receive water supply through water tankers. Although the City will conduct regular monitoring and testing of the quality of water, residents are urged to first boil water in the first few days once they have water running from their taps,” the municipality said.

Source: South African Government News Agency