Ethekwini Water Curtailment Update 3rd October 2024
As water scarcity becomes an increasingly pressing issue in many regions, water restrictions have emerged as a vital tool for managing and conserving this essential resource. These measures, often enacted during droughts or periods of high demand, aim to balance the needs of communities with the imperative to protect natural water supplies. By limiting non-essential water use, such as outdoor irrigation and car washing, authorities seek to promote responsible consumption and encourage sustainable practices among residents. Understanding the reasons behind these restrictions and their implications is crucial for fostering a culture of conservation and ensuring a reliable water future for all.
WHY IS WATER CURTAILMENT BEING IMPLEMENTED?
- UMngeni-u Thukela Water (UUW) will implement water curtailment in eThekwini Municipality.
- The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) issued a notice to UUW to reduce the volume of water abstracted from the Mgeni system to their licenced volumes.
- This is to enable continued water availability, including during periods of below-average rainfall.
- Water curtailment will be effective in the City from 10 OCTOBER 2024.
HOW WILL THE CURTAILMENT BE IMPLEMENTED?
- The water supply curtailment will be implemented gradually over the next 12 months, to ensure that the abstraction from the Mgeni system is brought to the licenced volumes and is maintained at this level.
- The Department of Water and Sanitation sells raw (untreated) water to the uMgeni-uThukela Water Board (UUW).
- The UUW treats the water, bringing it to drinking water standard and sells it to eThekwini Municipality. The Municipality stores and sells it to residents, industries, and businesses.
- The bulk of water supply to eThekwini Municipality comes from the uMngeni-uThukela
Water Catchment System.
HOW WILL THE CURTAILMENT BE IMPLEMENTED?
- The average abstraction from the system over the past 12 months amounts to 1406.4 Megalitres a day (MI/d).
- However, the directive from the Department of Water and Sanitation requires the value to be reduced to 1287.7Ml/d - which is a reduction of 118 MI/d.
- This is for the uMgeni-uThukela Water Board to meet the conditions of the Water Use Licence of 470 million m3/annum.
- This will mean a reduction on the current sales and abstraction volume of 8.4%
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE WATER CURTAILMENT IS NOT IMPLEMENTED?
- The risk of not enforcing the abstraction limit is that should a drought occur, there will not be sufficient water in the system for uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) to continue providing e Thekwini Municipality with a reliable water supply.
- However, if UUW implements the gradual reduction as planned, the water supply will remain stable, even with below-average rainfall. And if there is below-average rainfall, any restrictions required would be more manageable.
HOW WILL ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY ENSURE RESIDENTS ARE NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED?
- Installation of restrictors in water meters of all consumers
- Pressure reduction in the reticulation network
- Metering all unmetered consumers
- Improve turnaround time in repairing leaks and pipe bursts through the deployment of ward-based plumbers
- Community education around water conservation
- Disconnection of illegal water connections
- Water rationing where demand is too high or exceeds available supply.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT WATER SUPPLY STATUS?
- Demand for water in e Thekwini has grown rapidly, largely due to rapid urbanisation, high consumption levels, illegal connections, and ageing infrastructure.
- The average water consumption in e Thekwini is very high, 270 litres per capita (person), per day (l/c/d) compared to an international average of 170 l/c/d.
- This reduction will be critical in ensuring long-term water security and lowering overall demand.
WHAT ROLE CAN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES PLAY DURING THIS PROCESS?
- Reduce water consumption
- Exercise responsible water usage
- Have their meter read regularly
- Fix all leaks in their household
Use grey water to flush the toilet.
HOW IS ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY ADDRESSING WATER SUPPLY CHALLENGES?
- Implementation of the eThekwini Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy
- The strategy aims to position eThekwini Water and Sanitation to meet the current and future water and sanitation demands for the City.
- To augment the water supply, the City signed an agreement for the Umkhomazi Water Project.
- Multifaceted strategies to address water losses and enhance water use efficiency are underway.
- This includes pipeline replacement programmes, infrastructure upgrades, active leak detection initiatives, and a revenue enhancement programme.