Upgrade plans for King Cetshwayo municipality
UMGENI Water has intervened to resolve the water challenges that have plagued King Cetshwayo (uThungulu) District Municipality.
For the past few months the district municipality has faced severe water supply challenges that have led to protests by communities.
Last week schooling was disrupted in the area after community members protested over water shortages.
In a statement, Umgeni Water spokesperson Shami Harichunder, said the water authority would partner with the district municipality from the beginning of October.
“Umgeni Water has signed a service level agreement with the King Cetshwayo District Municipality (KCDM). Umgeni Water will begin operating and managing secondary bulk potable (drinking water) schemes from October 1 and will supply water to the municipality.”
He said King Cetshwayo District Municipality decided not to renew the contract with a private water service provider and instead opted to partner with Umgeni Water to rehabilitate all the run-down schemes and provide water to all communities.
Harichunder said the provincial government partnered with Umgeni Water to develop a universal access plan, which is a blueprint for water provision in the entire province.
“It is that blue print of water delivery that Umgeni Water will roll out through various infrastructure development projects in KCDM in order to ensure that, over time, the less reliable rudimentary schemes are decommissioned and replaced with sustainable, reliable and high capacity water schemes to meet current and future demands of the region,” he said.
He said Umgeni Water had deployed at least 30 of its technical staff to determine needs and priorities in order to improve water services provision in the district municipality.
“Once this exercise is completed, Umgeni Water will be armed with proper and reliable information, so that when it takes over, there will be a proper plan to produce tangible action and results,” he said.
Plans were in place to improve water services provision within the district, and this includes rehabilitation, refurbishment and the upgrading of infrastructure and provision of new and ultra-modern infrastructure.