Durban water crisis: Mayor visits leak site as residents ask when their taps will run again

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba has visited the site of a major water leak affecting parts of Durban, but residents are still asking when they can expect their taps to run again.

Xaba conducted a site inspection in Westville on 31 August to assess progress by the municipality’s Water and Sanitation teams in repairing a leak on the Southern Aqueduct.

The leak has significantly affected water supply to the central and southern parts of the city.

The mayor also visited Chatsworth Reservoir 4, which supplies most of Chatsworth as well as some reservoirs in Umlazi, to assess the impact of the burst on reservoir levels.

The affected reservoirs are supplied through a single pipeline.

Large parts of Durban affected

The municipality warned last week that the leak, detected along Perth Road in Dawncliffe, Westville, could result in reduced water flow and falling reservoir levels.

Depending on water demand and available water, some reservoir outlets could also be temporarily closed to preserve storage and allow reservoirs to recover faster once normal flow returns.

The areas potentially affected include large parts of Chatsworth, Umlazi, Queensburgh, Malvern, Shallcross, Bayview, Yellowwood Park and parts of the Pinetown South system.

In Umlazi, the potential impact extends across numerous sections, including A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y and Z.

The municipality has not yet provided a firm timeframe for when normal supply will be restored.

‘We don’t have water, not even a drop’

While the mayor’s site inspection indicates that the municipality is monitoring the situation, comments on Facebook from residents show that many are more concerned about when they will actually have water again.

One resident, Ranusha Moodley, asked: “So what is the progress? as we still have water shedding. and there is no updates at all about it.”

Sphe Sigi Songathukile added:

“We don’t have water not even a drop… What’s this about you doing for us?” the resident commented.

The disruption has also revived frustration over repeated problems with the Southern Aqueduct.

“How many years does it take to fix this problem. This is an ongoing issue with the same aquaduct,” Thilo Munsamy wrote.

Some residents also questioned whether the municipality is doing enough to prevent repeated failures, while another raised concerns about the impact on families and schoolchildren, particularly when water supply is unreliable.

Another setback for the Southern Aqueduct

The latest leak follows a series of disruptions involving the Southern Aqueduct.

Earlier in August, a planned shutdown was carried out as part of the Southern Aqueduct Upgrade Project. A severe leak then developed on 20 August while the pipeline was being charged following the planned work, forcing technical teams to isolate the pipeline again.

Repairs were subsequently completed and water supply was gradually restored. However, the latest leak has once again placed pressure on the system and affected communities supplied by it.

For residents who are still without water, however, the focus is now less on another site inspection and more on when a reliable supply will return.

The mayor’s visit may provide an indication that the municipality is monitoring the repairs, but communities across Durban’s central and southern regions are still waiting for a solution they can see at their taps.