City apologises for Tongaat water crisis

The eThekwini Municipality responds to the letter, “Tongaat, a town without pity” (POST, May 4-8), by Yogas Nair.

THE city has noted the frustration, disappointment, and anger of the community of Tongaat caused by the shortage of water in the area. We acknowledge the pain and apologise unreservedly for it.

The recent floods have left a trail of damage that was not expected by anyone. The Tongaat Water Treatment Works was destroyed during the floods. This has made it impossible for the municipality to get water from the Wewe River and purify it for consumption. We have been then left with no option but to mobilise water tankers so that residents can have clean drinking and cooking water.

We concede that we have received complaints from the public to the effect that water tankers are not enough or are inconsistent. After receiving those complaints, we have steadily increased the number of water tankers deployed to oThongathi.

In addition to deploying water tankers, we are exploring several options for providing water. One of them is to procure a 15Ml/day package plant, whilst also trying to ensure that the mechanical and electrical work is undertaken so that we can install new pumps.

The location of the package plant would have to be as close as possible to the destroyed water works. This will enable us to store produced potable water in the on-site reservoir and then pump to other reservoirs. Water will be extracted from the Wewe River as it was previously done.

We are also talking to Umgeni Water to supply water from Hazelmere Water Treatment Works to Mamba Ridge, Belvedere and Nyaninga. Operating rules are still to be established as there could be water rationing in place.

By injecting water at these points, 80% of the area will have a rotational supply, and the tankering service will be limited to Hambanathi and Emona areas.

A more permanent solution remains the rebuilding of the destroyed treatment works. Unfortunately, this is a task that will take several months as it also requires a full plant design and build.

The municipality is committed to finding a speedy solution to this challenge. It is also committed to keeping the community informed of progress. Senior municipal leaders will be meeting with the community on an ongoing basis to keep the community informed, to listen and to discuss solutions with the community.