As part of interventions to resolve water challenges in communities, the City has started the drilling of borehills in several wards.

THE City is implementing various interventions to resolve water challenges, particularly in the rural parts of the Municipality. One of these interventions is the drilling of boreholes in several wards, which has already started.

This was announced by eThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda during a media briefing on service delivery issues on 2 October. “In areas where there is inadequate water infrastructure, the Municipality has reprioritised funding for the drilling of boreholes. We are pleased to report that teams have already started drilling boreholes,” said Mayor Kaunda.

The wards where the projects have started include Ward 3 in Umzinyathi, Ward 105 in Mfume, Ward 59 in oGunjini, and Ward 108 in the eNyoni and Mkhumbane areas. Mayor Kaunda also addressed the issue of restoration of water supply in uMhlanga, Durban North and surrounding areas. “As a proactive and preventative measure, our teams will be installing pressure gauges at strategic points on the bulk aqueduct pipeline. They will link this up with our telemetry system where we monitor the reservoir levels. We have also approached the South African Police Service to speed up the investigation on the criminal case of sabotage the Municipality has opened,” he said.

The sanitation technical teams also continue to work round the clock to ensure all beaches are open during the festive season and beyond. Mayor Kaunda said there is a collaborative effort between the scientific services and the mechanical and wastewater network departments to clearly identify the sources for any identified coastal pollution. “It is important for the public to know that the pollution of beaches is caused by a combination of factors including pump failure, load shedding, vandalism, or poor network infrastructure. 

Therefore, the streamlining of our processes has resulted in us being able to prioritise and track nonfunctioning infrastructure on a daily basis to ensure repairs are effected promptly,” Mayor Kaunda concluded.