Government restricting water to 550,000 homes in South Africa

The eThekwini Municipality plans to install around 550,000 ‘water restriction devices’ on consumer meters over the coming weeks to curb water usage and save water.

This decision, made during an executive committee meeting on 18 February, comes as the city struggles to keep up with escalating water demand, particularly in the southern parts of Durban.

The move follows a directive from uMngeni-uThukela Water in October last year, which instructed the city to reduce daily water usage by 8.4% over the next 12 months.

This directive was given after the national Department of Water and Sanitation raised concerns about increasing water wastage in Durban.

However, despite these efforts, the city has only achieved about 15% of the targeted reduction of 8.4% so far. The restriction devices being installed are designed to limit water flow significantly.

These devices, which are known as flow restrictors, are washers placed in the water connection, allowing for a maximum daily consumption of about 360 litres over six hours at a low flow rate.

The municipality said this initiative is aimed at managing the growing demand and encouraging water conservation.

At the beginning of the year, the municipality pointed to high consumption rates and ongoing heat waves as major contributors to the water supply issues.

It said the city’s average water consumption stood at 298 litres per person per day, significantly higher than the international average of 173 litres.

The municipality then urged residents to use water sparingly to help maintain sufficient water levels at critical points within the system.

However, opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) have blamed the water woes on poor administration and incompetence.

“The DA in eThekwini notes concern for the worsening of the water crisis in the municipality, with the city ready to implement restrictions or curtailment of water to residents.

“eThekwini has failed to mitigate their own water losses and is now forcing consumers to bear the brunt of years of mismanagement of this critical unit,” the DA said.

Less water in the system may also cause a strain on sanitation, as the system needs adequate water to ensure the optimal functioning of the sewer systems.

However, both Umgeni-UThukela and eThekwini municipality must be accountable for the water woes that residents face.

The DA further claims that the current situation results from failures in preventive maintenance, a lack of foresight, and an inadequate response to leaks and burst pipes.

The eThekwini municipality has acknowledged ongoing challenges in addressing the city’s water issues, citing a shortage of plumbers and water tankers as key concerns.

Meanwhile, water utilities have linked the current outages to Sanral’s N3 upgrades, which have forced the shutdown of a critical pipeline.

The move to install these devices goes against calls from some ratepayers in the municipality.

The eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM) condemned the municipality’s decision to install restrictive devices on water meters as part of the water curtailment programme.

The movement’s chairperson, Asad Gaffar, called it a “short-sighted” approach. He said “this drastic measure” would have far-reaching consequences for residents, businesses, and the local economy.

The body said the municipality should prioritise fixing leaks and upgrading infrastructure, implement efficient water management systems and promote water conservation education and incentives.

Despite the backlash, eThekwini Municipality maintains that water restriction devices are necessary to manage the growing demand and conserve resources amid a strained supply system.

The municipality has also previously noted that the city has increased the private sector’s involvement in the delivery of water services, with five bulk water schemes in the design and construction phase.

These five schemes will add 550 megalitres (ML/day) of water per day to the 1100Ml/day currently supplied to businesses and residents (a 50% increase).